Starcraft: Rise to Power
by solomon.leo.7
Summary: Artanis was elected to become the Hierarchy of his people following the Brood War. This is my interpretation of how it went. *This may not follow the books that were already made by Blizzard Entertainment*
1. Prologue: Experiments

**Prologue: Experiments**

Everything around Zeratul was enveloped in a thick grey fog of smoke. It was difficult for him to see what ten feet away from him was. His eyes watered as he tried to make his way out of the fumes. He called out to his brethren as he wandered through the fog in hopes that he would be able to locate them. As he tried to find his way out of the poisonous fumes, he could sense the lives of many humans fading all around him. His skin allowed him to hear the agonizing cries of dozens of suffocating survivors and he tried his best to ignore it.

The further he got from the center of the smoke, the less he sensed of his own people. Pain struck his hearts like none other. He rallied up the remains of his wavering will and continued his way out of the fumes. Zeratul knew that there was a chance for his brethren to be okay. Like him and the others, the Protoss race did not have either a mouth, ears or even a nose. They breathed through their skin thanks to the millions of tiny pores in their thick skin. It could not be penetrated by any form of smoke which meant they were impervious to the smoke around them. However, it was capable hindering their vision.

After a few minutes of passing by mercenaries who cried out for help, Zeratul saw a clearing. He quickly dashed towards it and finally emerged from the cloud of smoke. Sweat poured down his humanoid shaped body as he looked up to a large door situated right in front of him. Something behind the door gave him an ominous feeling. He could sense something living within but it was something that he never felt before. He walked up to the door and placed his four fingered hand onto it. The door was twenty five meters high and same in length compared to his eight meter height. He applied a certain amount of force onto the metallic door. It was strong enough to crush a large boulder but it did not leave a single dent. He began channeling energy from the billions of invisible particles around him. The power felt bone chilling and cold but Zeratul was used to it already. When he gathered enough psionic power, he unleashed it all onto the large door. After two seconds of watching the energy transfer into the door, it started to swell up and dent inwards. When the door reached its limit, the spot where his hand had been tore open a large space and allowed him to enter.

The room was dark. It was deprived of light and he could not see anything properly. He could barely make out the shape of anything close to him. Suddenly out of nowhere, light filled the room thanks to the light bulbs located on the walls and the ceiling. Zeratul could see the vast number of computers and other dissecting devices all around the room. He saw bloodied Zerg corpses on dissecting boards with limbs and organs all over small counters. He felt appalled of the sight. A heartbeat of another quickly grabbed his attention. He saw a large curtain in the center of the room and walked towards it. He ripped it aside and was startled at what he saw.

It was a humongous liquid filled experiment stasis cell that housed a large creature inside. The monstrosity within possessed a form similar to that of his people. Instead of limbs of Protoss limbs, it had large thick tendrils that came out of its back and filled much of the cell. It had small spider like arms with large dagger shaped claws. Small spikes covered the entire body and it seemed that the legs of the beast were incomplete. The head was shaped like a Zerg creature. The mouth was split into four sections that opened outwards on command. The inside was covered in razor sharp fangs. From what Zeratul had noticed, the creature was currently still in its slumber.

"Test subject twenty nine in perfect cryogenic hibernation. Protoss/Zerg Hybrid at eight seven percent completion. DNA strands have been record and archive. Psionic emanations at minimal Psi Index level of fifteen on twenty," stated a cybernetic computer terminal randomly.

"What? A level of fifteen? Such a thing cannot be possible!" Zeratul shouted in response to the outrageous statement. Despite possessing no mouth, all Protoss were able to use their brain to create vibration and noises that would be later interpreted by someone else's brain into words.

His eyes turned red and a vein popped up on his triangular humanoid shaped head. As he stepped a foot closer, the creature within the cell instinctively responded to Zeratul's comment and movement with an increase in psionic pressure. The pressure almost made Zeratul drop to his knees. He held his head in a bit of pain and couldn't believe what was happening. After a few seconds, the pressure returned to normal and the creature's brain activity went back to a minimum.

"A monster of this magnitude cannot be allowed to live. It would take hundreds to slay this being if it were to become complete and awaken," Zeratul muttered to himself a bit tired.

He rose his arm up and activated his Warp Blade. A flame shaped blade of green energy shot out from the top of his wrist guard. It was made up of pure psionic energy and emanated a green glow. He prepared himself to slash open the cell and to slice the beast to ribbons but before he could deliver the first strike, a white mist began to fill the room. He did not know where it came from and was startled. He lowered his Warp Blade and kept it in a position that would allow him to block and counter attack. The mist became so dense that it blocked his view of the cell that was only two feet away from him.

"It is truly marvelous…Do you not agree?" Zeratul heard.

He turned around trying to find the source of the voice but was unable to locate it. There was something weird about the voice. It sounded like it was being sent directly into his brain via telepathy but in a way that was much more advanced than how his people did it.

"Who is it that speaks to me right now?" Zeratul replied.

"I feel quite insulted by your question, young prodigal. True, that I have had many names over the last millennia but do you really not recognize my voice? If that really is the unfortunate case, then I think you would know me best as Samir Duran,"

"Samir Duran…Is that not the name of Kerrigan's consort? Are you the one who destroyed Telematros and kidnapped our Matriarch?" Zeratul asked angrily.

"The one and only," the voice taunted.

"So it is true then…Is this sick experiment part of Kerrigan's agenda then? Has she ordered the likes of you to overlook this horrid operation?" Zeratul asked.

"Do not threat young Templar. She is not the creator of this grand experiment. She lacks the will, and comprehension to engineer and accomplish such a feeble task. However, I will admit that her infestation and rise to power have sped up my progress by a great deal,"

"So if she is not behind this, then it must mean you are acting on your own accord. What exactly are you doing and trying to accomplish here by doing this?" Zeratul asked.

"My actions are the commands of a higher power that I serve willingly. Even though it has been more than a millennia since I have seen my master, its appearance is reflected through the creature that you see within that cell,"

"A high power? What is it that you can possibly serve? And how could you simply accept these orders that have been given to you? Do you not realize what you have made or what this Hybrid is capable of?" Zeratul roared.

"Do you really think I would go to such measures to carry out his will without having an idea of what I was doing? This Hybrid is a completion of a _cycle_. Its cosmic order in this universe has been preordained ever since the eldest stars were young. Look forth upon this creature as a culmination of our species entire history!"

"The only thing that I see is an abomination of horrific proportions," Zeratul responded.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…Your childish views, young prodigal are understandable as well as typical, just like how everyone cannot simply comprehend the greater schemes of what this creature truly brings. By all means, destroy as many specimens that you would like. It would bring no difference to your future for I have seeded thousands of these works of art upon countless worlds and moons. There is simply no possible way that you could possobily destroy them all before they emerge from their deep slumber but when they do, your entire reality will be changed…forever,"

The mist began to disperse as the mysterious person's voice faded away. Zeratul looked around to see if there were any clues of where the man went but there was nothing. The room looked the exact same. He could hear the computers and their motherboards bleeping and making mechanical noises. Confusion and uneasiness filled the air. He felt the heartbeat of the creature and was not happy. He felt hesitant in trying to slay the beast. He couldn't think straight either. He felt disturbed and emotionless and he couldn't shake those feelings.

"If what he says is true, then I shouldn't waste my time trying to fight this behemoth. Before all of those Hybrids awaken, I must find a way to stop them and find out more about this so called _cycle_…or else the universe is doomed…" Zeratul said to himself as he turned around and began walking out the facility.

He stepped back out into the cold terrain. The dispersing smoke allowed Zeratul to see what was around him. It became clear to him of the level of destruction that him and his brothers had done to the facilities within the area. He began to hear the cries of dying people around him once more and prayed to the gods that he wouldn't have to hear them from his people.


	2. Chapter 1: The Meeting

**Chapter One: The Meeting**

The distance between this planet and the sun were billions of miles. Barely any light managed to make its way to the planet. Day and night was almost undistinguishable. The only way that one could spot the difference was by the two revolving moons that orbited the planet. During the day, the moons were visible but during the night, it hid in the darkness. The moons were made of shiny crystallized ebony rock that maximized the amount of light that was reflected onto the planet which was able to barely light it up. Freezing temperatures caused the ground to become brittle and earthquakes easily formed the geography of the land. This key factor caused one of the highest mountains ever known to be created.

Chilling and violent winds struck this mountain. The rugged terrain and the frequently changing climate was what gave it the name of Aza Khari'sha which meant unpredictable. Composed up of ebony rock and molded by billions of years of slashing wind and heavy rain, the mountain was covered in jagged edges and sharp spikes. It was layered with rock and sand where no life was able to endure and thrive. Parts of the mountain were prone to tectonic shifts, possessed dark chasms and rocky avalanches. Standing at forty seven thousand feet, it easily pierced the violet clouds where thunder and lightning rained down with ferocity. Small locations situated all over the mountain possessed diamond hard caves which were used as refuge from the harsh conditions. How it came to be is unknown but it acted as a safe haven for climbers. Its steepness almost made it impossible to journey to the top, no one would dare be willing to attempt to voyage to the summit.

Except for thirty six single Protoss individuals. Each being the representative, and leader of their own tribe that acted as a single nation. They were the only ones truly capable of scaling this ginormous mountain of such epic proportions. As the leader of their tribe, each had a vast amount of experience and was highly skilled in the use of psionic energy which was necessary to scale the Aza Khari'sha. What was more impressive was that they were able to climb to the very tip of this mountain within a single night that lasted eighteen hours.

After finally ascending to the very top of the mountain which was surprisingly flat, they all gathered up in front of a large Protoss superstructure that stood in front of them. They and the building were surrounded by crystal coves that glistened in the moonlight. Those crystals reflected the light off of each other and struck another one that was directly across from them only to reflect once more. The light that shun onto the blue and black rock beneath their feet created a greenish glow that lit up the entire area. It allowed them to clearly see the ancient building that stood before them. Some were amazed at the perfect condition that the building was in. Lightning bolts, vicious winds and pelting rain barely left scratches on the surface of the building. The pyramid shaped building was covered in encryptions, different unknown diagrams and symbols that almost none of the leaders recognized. The entrance of the building had a triangular shaped roof that was held up by large pillars of thick rock.

Four leaders walked up to the door and tried to open it. They were clad in armour with different coloured highlights that distinguished them from their respective tribes. Despite their immense strength, the door did not budge.

"This door appeals to be sealed. The carved symbols on the door might have some sort of connection with it. How tedious could this truly get?" said one of the four leaders a bit irritated.

"How could we use these symbols to unseal the door if none of us here knows what they are or what they mean?" said another.

"The answer is plain and simple. Even a newborn could figure it out. If this door does not want to open for us, then all we have to do is force it to open," a female leader stated.

The six feet tall female dressed in royal clothing that were covered in small jewels walked up to the door and shoved the other three out of her way. Her long dreadlock appendages that flowed from the back of her head were tied together with a single piece of flexible metal.

"I do not think it will be that simple Shak'keen. If we haven't seen these symbols before, then it is unlikely that you have as well. I do not think it would be wise to try anything without knowing what those symbols mean," said one of the leaders next to her.

"Do not underestimate my powers. My psionic abilities are not currently in its decline due to my age unlike yours," Shak'keen replied.

"Do you really want to test that statement out Shak'keen? By all means, go ahead and try to face me and we'll see who's power is superior," the older leader said in response to her insult.

"Do not fight over such nonsense! Shak'keen, if you think your plan will work, then give it a shot," interrupted another leader.

The other leaders in the back waited patiently and whispered among themselves. They instinctively divided themselves into two separate groups composed of the Khalai Templars who immigrated over to Shakuras when their home planet of Auir fell to the Zerg Swarms. Then there were the Nerazim who were Templars that were banished from Auir due to their refusal to believe in the Khalai faith and later settled on Shakuras as their new home. They whispered to each other and talked about the opposite group.

Shak'keen stepped twenty feet back and was in front of the two groups while the other three got out of her way. She activated her psionic blade that shot out of her fore arm. It lit a nasty pale blue. She readied herself for her charge and on the count of three; she sprinted as fast as she could to the entrance. She leaped forwards and stabbed her blade into the door with all of her might. A loud collision was easily heard by the two groups of leaders and they stood idly as Shak'keen was thrown backwards and smashed into a nearby crystal bed.

A few leaders crowded around her to see if she was alright. She slowly emerged from the impact and stood back up again. An angered look was easily visible upon her face.

"Ugh! This door, truly it is not normal! My blade should have been able to slice it to pieces!" Shak'keen roared out like a juvenile.

She readied herself for another charge but before she could take her first step again, an arm opened in front of her as if it was blocking her. She looked up to see a leader dressed in dark clothing. The Nerazim's face was covered with a black cloth that revealed only his eyes.

"And what do you think you are doing, Dark Templar?" she asked annoyingly.

"I am stopping you from harming yourself further you foolish infantile Templar," the Nerazim said.

"What did you just say to me you blasph-"

"You are too overconfident Shak'keen. You wield your powers without thought and it shows how young your state of mind really is. Due to you reveling in the riches of your tribe, you have created a mindset where if it does not go your way, then you must use force to make it go your way. Though it may get you what you want in certain cases, this is not one of them," said another Dark Templar who stood side by side with his fellow brethren.

The other Nerazim leaders stood very amused at the situation that was unfolding before their eyes. They did not surely anticipate their own kind giving lectures to the Khalai leaders. The other Khalai leaders however watched distastefully. Some of them agreed with what the Dark Templar said but was not happy to know that one of their own was being told this by a Nerazim.

"I suggest you take those words back before I gut you like a filthy creature," Shak'keen said in response.

"Go ahead and try. If you decide to attack us, then you will openly declare war upon our tribe. Considering your tribe has just gotten out of industrialisation, I expect that your military might isn't on par with ours. Is it, Shak'keen?" the other elderly Nerazim said just a bit snidely.

The statement was enough for Shak'keen to shut her mouth. She couldn't deny his facts and stood in defeat.

After feeling good about shutting the leader up, the two Dark Templars walked up to the entrance. They both placed their right hands onto it and closed their eyes.

"Just like Shak'keen, none of you here have seen these symbols before. They look old enough to be the carvings made by our gods but in actuality, it is one of the oldest ancient Protoss dialects now lost to both our people. Spoken by us all even before the Aeon of Strife that took place over three thousand years ago," said the Templar on the right.

"If that is truly the case, then how do you two know if it?"

"We learnt it from our great grand fathers who had lived during those times. They had us memorize the thousands symbols that are upon this door," said the one of the left.

The others stood in awe as they felt the psionic pressure grow around them. The two elders were conjuring up an immense amount of energy.

"Uhn ore'ki atum Khas a'c Khaydarin Zhakul inok," said the one on the left.

"May the Khaydarin crystals used to create the carvings and the shrine itself reveal its true purpose upon this world," said the one on the right.

They both transferred a certain amount of energy into the door and the others watched as the symbols and carvings began to glow a bright green. Sections of the door divided up along the hieroglyphics and began popping out by some sort of mysterious force. The two Dark Templars reopened their eyes and stopped channelling their powers. They stepped back to watch the doors open.

The pieces of the door moved, stacked onto the sides of it and opened up a pathway into the building. When the last glowing piece was set, the others stood a bit amazed at the sight while others remained unfazed.

"Now then, shall we all continue onwards?" the left Nerazim said.

The two Templar entered into the building and the others followed suit. Shak'keen stood angrily at everything that had just transpired within the last few minutes.

"It would do you good to heed their advice Shak'keen. True we may not bath in your so called light, but we can still see things that are not clear within the light," a Dark Templar said while passing her.

"Silence! I refuse to be lectured by one who rejects the Khala's light!" Shak'keen said immediately.

The Nerazim felt offended by her words and decided to continue onwards without uttering another word. A nearby Templar walked over to Shak'keen after overhearing her rude comment.

"Shak'keen! Have some respect. They have allowed us to settle upon their homeland without any demands. Have the decency to not show your colours while surrounded by every other leader here," he said.

"Don't say that to me as if you don't mind standing next to those tainted low lives. I can see it in your eyes as well. You don't want to be here either," Shak'keen said a bit viciously.

"Whether that is true or not, it does not change anything. We all came here for a reason so it is part of our duties. Now come on. Let us continue before the door seals once more and we get locked out," the fellow Khalai leader said.

Shak'keen let out a grunt and followed the rest inside. When the last leader stepped inside, the door began to form back together. Before the last piece sealed itself into place, a black shadowy mist entered into the building.

They all walked down a single hallway that quickly led everyone to a large room that was the size of an apartment complex multiplied by eight. The room was laid out similar to a Roman theatre. There were tables and seats that formed a circular ring around the middle of the room that acted like a stage. There were four rows that were higher than the last with ten seats on each row. They were spread out along each row to prevent crowding.

The leaders sat themselves down and the inner hatred between the two opposite groups was clearly shown by where they all sat. On the left side were the Khalai leaders and on the right, were the Nerazim leaders.

They looked around seeing if anyone was staring at them while trying to not get caught doing the same. Everything felt slow and long. The annoying feeling it brought did not go well with some of the leaders who felt that time was being wasted. One of the Dark Templar stood up from his seat and slapped his hands against his desk.

"What exactly are we all waiting for? Why are we just sitting here doing nothing? We all know why we are here so why is no one speaking up? If we thought that it was significant to discover what our dreams meant, then it should have been brought up as soon as we all sat down!" he lashed out.

"Where are we supposed to even start?" asked someone else.

"Well, to start off, the fact that we all had the exact same dream at the exact same time three days ago cannot be just a coincidence. It is obvious that something else is going on. We just do not know what it is yet," another shouted.

"We saw a dark mysterious hand reaching out towards us with claw like fingernails with its yellow piercing eyes behind it. What are we supposed to make of that exactly?"

"Do you think that it has something to do with the future?"

"It is possible but I do not think it fits. Our dream was much too short and ominous to actually give us a clue of what it meant. One of my servants told me that they felt my psionic brain activity spike up while I slept. I assume that it has something to do with that,"

"If that is the case, then what caused it to spike? When we are asleep, our brain activity reaches a maximum of five percent. The only possible way for it to be higher than five is if the psionic power is so vast that the maximum is upped higher,"

"Or...if someone or something did to us..."

"What? Are you serious?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Think about it rationally. It is clear that no one here has the ability to reach a maximum percent of ten or higher while they sleep. The only ones capable of such a thing are the great Adun and the mighty Tassadar but they are no longer alive. The only other way would be if someone had done it for us. What I am trying to say is that someone or something may have reached into our minds and did something to us that caused that dream. If that is the case, then they would have had to use psionic power in order to do so,"

"That is ridiculous! No one is capable of doing such a thing without getting themselves killed in the process!"

"Yet, he is in fact correct," someone said.

The voice was not recognized by anyone in the room. They looked around trying to see who it came from but saw no one who fit.

"Who said that?" one of the leaders asked suspiciously.

"I did," everyone heard once more.

The ominous voice echoed throughout the entire room from every angle. The Protoss leaders felt as if the voice was being inserted directly into their heads. All of the Protoss in the room turned their heads to every direction trying to discover the source of the voice.

One of the leaders looked up towards the large center piece of the room which was a large old crystal. He saw a glimpse of a figure with its hand clinging onto the chain that helped support the large crystal and saw the feet grasping onto the crystal itself. The figure kept itself hidden in the darkness and could not be distinguished by the eyes of the leader.

"Up there! Something has breached the premises!" screamed out the tribal leader. He squeezed his eyes to get a better visual of the form.

The others looked up to the crystal but only saw a black fog next to the center piece that had already begun to fade into the air. They turned their heads and looked around the room trying to anticipate where the figure would appear next. They all felt a psionic presence beginning to form in the center of the room. They redirected their eyes and saw the same black fog reappear from the core of the room. It slowly began to disappear from the shadowy figure. The form stood up from its kneeling position and kept its face hidden in the shadows of the twilight.

A majority of the leaders felt something odd and peculiar about the figure that stood before them. They prepared themselves for the worst and activated their psionic blades.

"Identify yourself this instant or feel the wrath of the Templar!" shouted out one of the Templars.

The black fog finished dispersing and the unknown figure turned towards them. The leaders recognized the figure as a male of their own kind. A purple ragged cape covered in rips, holes and burns hung over the Protoss's shoulders. The cape swung around the side of the Protoss as he turned to face them. The feeble light shined through the windows and lit up the figure from every angle. They saw a smaller rag of the same color that covered the bottom half of its face, large pieces of armour on his shoulders and shin guards. The Khalai Templar leaders glared at the figure and could not recognize who he was. The Dark Templars however, recognized the familiar Protoss.

"Identify yourself at once!" shouted out a Khalai leader.

"Silence!" shouted out multiple Dark Templars at once.

The remarks caused the Templar to shut himself up and give out a dirty look to those across the room.

"Do your eyes betray you? Can you not recognize a great hero who stands before you clear as day?" Darkeen asked.

"What is the madness that you speak of? Who is this hero whom you speak of exactly?" asked a Khalai leader.

"It truly seems that your eyes are not as good as you believe. The one and only who stands before us now is the great Zeratul himself!" a random Nerazim said.

"What? Impossible! How can this decrepit old Protoss be the heroic Zeratul? He looks nothing like the prideful warrior who fought to save our people," Huriana shouted.

"Zeratul disappeared after the Brood War! If he was truly alive after all these years, why is it that he only decided to return now?" the Khalai Templar shot out while crossing his arms disapprovingly.

"It is him! There is no one else alive who is capable of infiltrating this room without our knowledge. Look at him closer. If you stare at him long enough, you will be able to see their resemblance," a Dark Templar said.

"You Nerazim are being too rash! You are going by mere appearances!"

"Quiet! Stop this foolish ruckus! You are all leaders of the tribes on this planet. Get your acts together and listen!" Zeratul shouted out loud. His strong voice echoed throughout the room.

The leaders quickly stopped disputing among themselves and paid their attention to the Protoss in the middle.

"I can understand your doubt. I understand your reasoning. I understand why you would not believe in your own brothers words. However, I am who I am. I am he who fought side by side with Tassadar. I am he who risked his life to defend our people against the wretched Zerg Swarms. I am the Dark Prelate Zeratul. Whether you believe my identity or not, it does not matter. What matters is what I have to tell you," Zeratul continued.

The Dark Templar leaders held in the urge to cheer for Zeratul's return. They felt extremely gay over his return. They wanted to crowd around and ask him of his adventures that he had gone through while his time away. The Khalai leaders on the other hand didn't know what to think. His voice seemed similar but they just couldn't believe it. Memories of the Prelate filled their heads. The memory of one of their own fallen pained them inside and sparked a burning sensation.

"Just like I said as soon as I got here, Darjak is correct. There was a psionic being who penetrated deep into the minds of you all and that being so happened to be me. I used my power to create thirty five solid replicas of myself, each possessing a portion of my energy but I had to move fast or else the energy would fade and they would disappear. I had them dispersed among all the tribes and as you all slept, I broke into your chambers and transferred what little energy they had into you all in order to create a dream that you all shared at the same time," Zeratul explained.

"What? You were the cause of that illusive dream? It is against the Protoss law and moral rights to violate the privacy of an individual's mind by entering their minds without their knowledge or consent! Even you must realize the seriousness of your actions. Whether your reason to call us here is valid or not, you could have seriously injured or even killed everyone here with your reckless actions!" one of the leaders stated.

Multiple leaders stood up in disbelief and were not happy with Zeratul's explanation. Not only did Zeratul break one of his people's most sacred laws, he had done it a total of thirty six times. Doing it just once meant almost an eternity in prison or banishment. A majority of the leaders immediately sealed off their minds after feeling violated.

"What were you thinking Zeratul? What could have compelled you to do such an atrocious act?" a Nerazim leader asked.

"You stand here before us without guilt. Do you even regret your actions?" a Khalai leader asked.

"Of course I do, I witnessed the creations of the sacred laws when I was but a newborn. I know what consequences it would bring to me and I know of its disgrace to moral rights. Yet, it was the only way that I could bring you all here,"

"Why? What is it that is so valuable that you were forced to do such an act, not once, but thirty six times?" shouted out Huriana.

"It is about the apocalypse that looms over the horizon…" Zeratul said with a sudden change in tone.

"An apocalypse? What do you mean by that?" asked one of the leaders. Similar questions were asked by people across the room. The standing leaders sat back down.

"As you all may know, I failed to rescue our late Matriarch from the Queen of Blades. When I fled from the planet with what little forces I had left, we retreated back to a distant frozen moon. Our global scanner alerted us of a number of Protoss psionic signatures upon the moon. I personally led a small force down to the moon in hopes of uniting with other survivors but what I found was beyond my expectations. I found experimental tankers that housed both Protoss and Zerg Hybrid creatures. The last one had a psionic level that was on par with an Archon and looked monstrous. Before I could send it to its demise, I was stopped by a mysterious being whom was not Zerg, Terran or Protoss. He told me of a cycle that has been occurring since almost the beginning of time and that those Hybrids had something to do with it," Zeratul explained before giving a slight pause.

It seemed that the skins of all of the leaders were listening carefully to Zeratul's story. Half of them felt concerned while the other thought it was insanity.

"A being that was on par with an Archon's psionic power? I can scarcely believe that! An Archon is made up of pure psionic energy! Only the most skilled of us are capable of doing it with success and with complete control! There is no way that any other living being could reach the powers of an Archon," one of the Khalai leaders said.

"I have no reason to lie," Zeratul said.

"That may be tr-" the same Khalai leader said before being cut off.

"Allow him to continue his explanation! We need to know more of what he speaks of," one of the Nerazim said a bit rudely.

The Khalai leader gave a nasty look towards the Nerazim while the Dark Templar merely scoffed at it.

"I lacked a series of answers that I wished to know. I sent my remaining troops back to Shakuras while I went on a hunt for clues for my answers. It was a difficult task at first but as time went on, I was able to gather up clues and hints from various planets. That was when it led me to a planet called Ulaan. It was there where I met up with Executor Karass and his detachment of Zealot warriors. We fought against the Queen of Blades to gather up the fragments that I believed held the prophecy that was created by our gods, the Xel'naga. I believed that it would reveal the course of the future and did all in my path to defend it. Mysteriously, it led me back to Auir, where the final battle took place and where Tassadar sacrificed his life to destroy the Zerg ruler. By going through the memories of the dead abomination, the purpose of the Queen of Blades became clear. We believed her to be the destroyer of worlds but in reality, she is our savior from the flames. Only she has the potential to protect the universe..." Zeratul concluded.

He looked around to see the expressions on people's faces and was immediately displeased with the looks on their faces. Their eye colour had turned red and they looked angered.

"Was that all that you were able to piece together? You decided that it would be worth abandoning your people in one of its darkest hours and forcing us to rebuild on our own, for what, a prophecy that doesn't even make sense? Three years...It has been three whole gruesome years on this planet ever since you disappeared from the world! Do not tell me that your whole tale was what you've been doing all this time!" shouted out a leader from among the crowd.

"He is right! Who would believe such an insane story? What god would proclaim Kerrigan, the nemesis of all that exists as the savior of the universe? Have they not witnessed her crimes against us? Slaughtering thousands of our people without remorse and laying wastes to our cities?" proclaimed another who bashed his hand onto his desk.

"How is it that you can believe such a fairy tale so easily? Do you not remember her murdering Fenix and Aldaris in cold blood, her treacherous acts and deceits? She is nothing more than a power hungry monster that deserves a slow and painful death!" Shak'keen said while rising up to her feet.

"Not only that, she successfully manipulated both Artanis and you into doing her bidding by brain washing your so called great Matriarch! Despite her sudden change in personality, neither of you could notice the difference!" one of the Khalai leaders roared. He began to switch his hatred of Kerrigan onto the ones whom he thought caused everything bad to happen which were the Dark Templar.

"He is right! If your Matriarch was really wise and all knowing, then how could she succumb to Kerrigan's twisted ways so easily? It only goes to show that her mind was as simple as any ordinary Templar!" said someone else.

A soothing anger quickly built up in Zeratul. He had the urge to murder someone in cold blood. His eyes turned a devilish shade of red and he had a scowl on his face. He wanted to slice the Khalai Templar in half for speaking ill of his one and true master but he held in his anger. He thought of Tassadar, the only Khalai Templar who understood him and his people and it helped calm himself down.

Unfortunately, this was not the same for the rest of his brothers. He could tell by the looks on their faces that they were having trouble maintaining their calm demeanors. They simply couldn't accept the insults that were being thrown around so nonchalantly. Their late Matriarch held them together and brought peace. She acted as the lich pin that maintained the peace and stability of their people. Her kindness was unmatched and there was no one who could sway from her words. There was no way that they were going to sit around idly and let Raszagal's name be disgraced.

"I demand that you stop speaking of Raszagal so poorly!" Darkeen screamed.

A number of Nerazim agreed and shouted out similar comments.

"People like yourselves who knew nothing of her, have no right to go around and dishonoring her!"

"We are not insulting her. We are simply stating facts! The fact is that after falling into Kerrigan's hands, she became more ruthless and later ordered the death of Aldaris! He was one of our most experienced and influential leaders that we've ever had and both Zeratul and Artanis did nothing to oppose the idea despite being comrades who fought side by side!" Karahyis said trying to not sound rude.

"Exactly! In fact, Zeratul trusted her more than he did with Aldaris. Does it not seem strange that both of the Nerazim's most prized heroes sided with Kerrigan? How can we be certain that even Zeratul hasn't been brainwashed and become one of her pawns?" another Khalai leader asked.

"Do not be absurd! Zeratul would never give in to Kerrigan's taint! His mind is strong and pure. He thinks nothing but the best for us!" Wargan'us said in response to the accusation.

"Yes, a Protoss so pure that he decided to break one of our greatest laws and risk the lives of everyone within this room? Of course he is pure minded! Do not try to convince us of such an insane thing! All those who do not bathe in the Khala's light can never be pure! Your hands are most likely stained rather than clean!" Zarvyn said roughly.

"You Dark Ones refuse to open your mind to the path of righteousness! You refuse to allow the Khala to guide you down a path full of bliss. Unlike you, we share a common mindset which unifies us easily! Your people lack such organization and it is for that reason why you can be so easily dyed any colour!" Shak'keen stated.

"Raszagal became Kerrigan's toy because her mind was too narrow! She refused to join the Khala and look where it had brought her! Her age and inability to change made her weak and an easy target for the Queen of Blades. If she had joined us, then Aldaris and her could have been able to unify our people into a single empire with ease!" stated another Khalai Templar.

"Do not let your idiotic brain say anything else! True that your precious Khala binds you to a single mindset but you lose an aspect that gives you your independence and a part of you that makes you who you are! Raszagal and our other ancestors refused to be tied down and be transformed into a submissive dog that could be commanded by those stronger than them!" Zaryus shouted.

"You knew nothing of how she lived and how she was like before you leeching Shaka'lezil landed on our world. Her soul was gentle and warm unlike you all who believe that everything revolves around your Khala!" Darkeen added on.

"She never held any desire for vengeance against your people. She had mentioned on numerous occasions that she missed Auir and those she knew there. She understood our banishment from Auir and cared little about it. She tried to convince us to let go of our hated past and to move onwards to a future where we could hold hands and stand side by side. We believed in her words and trusted them utterly. Those are the only reasons why we gave you shelter and refuge when you came. We dreamed of that future she talked about but it is obvious that it will not happen! Seeing you insulting her like this appalling! We see no difference between you and your corrupted Conclave government!" lashed out Mohandar spitefully.

"Your banishment was just! Your ancestors' refusal to join the Khala caused them to lack control of their psionic powers. They conjured up psionic storms all over Auir and ravaged both the landscape and our people! We had our reasons for removing you from Auir!" Shak'keen shot out.

"Just like how Razsagal fell, Zeratul has probably too! Kerrigan's influence has already taken control of him even as we speak! We cannot trust anything that he says! Kerrigan has most likely come up with a way to use your once great hero to convince us to spare her life! No longer is he a warrior, no longer is he the one who Tassadar protected, no longer is he an ally to the Protoss! Abandoning us and now breaking one of our most sacred laws, he is an enemy!" someone else said.

Leaders stood up and both applause and disapprovals were heard. The argument quickly matured into a full fledge conflict. The room became tenser and tenser by each passing second. Zeratul saw his plan of bringing order to his people and help saving the universe crumble beneath his feet. His brothers screamed and lashed out in anger. They flung harsh words at each other and cared little for the racist comments that flew out of their heads. They unleashed their bottled up hatred for each other and now it was growing out of hand. Zeratul didn't think it was possible. How could he have underestimated his people's hatred by so much? He had to act quickly.

"My brethren! Please, you must stop this meaningless conflict! It brings nothing of value to us! I know that my crimes have earned me the right to suffer for eternity and I will accept my fate but you must listen to me! We have to work together in order to-"

"Silence Zeratul! Your words hold no value anymore! Stop with your pathetic preaching you withering fool! True that you helped save us but there is no point in appreciating the actions of an insane pawn controlled by the wretched Queen of Blades! Whatever respect that I had for you is now lost forever. Just like how the Khala has dictated, respect for your disgusting people is not possible!" Shak'keen said.

Shak'keen noticed something in the corner of her eye. She turned her head towards what caught her attention and others did the same. When their eyes glared towards it, they only saw a gray fog that had already began to fade away. In less than a blink of an eye, Shak'keen felt something blood thirsty under her neck. She tilted her head slightly down and stared at the tip of an enhanced version of their psionic blade, a Warp blade with its tip right up to her neck. Her neck felt the glowing pisonic energies that emanated from the Warp blade. It was a blade that only the Dark Templars could wield. She knew that if she tried to move, then she would see the light of the Khala very soon. A large portion of the leaders present were surprised at the sudden change of events.

"What on Shakuras do you think you are doing!? Pull this blade away from my throat at once!" cried out Shak'keen nervously.

"You better watch the next words that will come out of your mouth Shak'keen or else that will be your undoing. I am right on the edge Shak'keen, don't tempt me with anymore of your rubbish!" shouted out Darkeen.

"You wouldn't dare try to harm me you filth!" Shak'keen challenged arrogantly. She tried to raise her head in hopes of increasing the millimeters between her throat and the blade. As she did so, her eyes caught glimpse of the Nerazim's eyes. His eyes resonated a fury of red hatred. It was enough to intimidate her and she decided that it would be best to keep her mouth shut or else she would be dead by the time the meeting was over.

She began to feel the vicious sharp blade edge its way closer and closer to her neck and droplets of sweat began to form around her face. Suddenly, she felt her face get smeared by blue blood. The blade that was held up to her neck was deactivated and the hand wielding it dropped. She looked down to see what was going on. She stared at the Dark Templar and was stunned at what she saw. Even Zeratul's eyes widened.

Darkeen felt unbearable pain coming from his chest. He looked down to the source of the pain and saw a dark bluish glowing blade burning through his core. Blood dripped down from the wound and onto his battle armor. He channeled what little of his energy remained and enveloped his hand with it. He gripped the blade with his hand and tried to break it apart or at least push it back out of him. It was a futile effort for his powers were dwindling by the second and after a few seconds; he could no longer conjure his powers. He knew that the blade in him wouldn't bulge and that the user wasn't going to move it. He yelled out a cry of pain and fell down off the table and onto the cold floor. As he fell, the user pulled out his blade and it inflicted more pain. He looked up to his killer and cursed at him.

"Zaryvn...you...damned bastard...you...will...regret...this..." Darkeen said in absolute hatred and fury with his last remaining breaths. He used his last strength and grabbed Zaryvn's leg but it soon dropped as Darkeen's red fiery eyes became extinguished. His blood continued to leak from his body and created a blood stained pool that covered the floor under him.

"How pathetic, I will never understand how this trash became the leader of the Altary tribe with his unworthy abilities. Oh well, no matter. That's now one less tainted Templar that we must worry about," Zarvyn said coldly. He kicked the hand near his leg away from him and held in the urge to kick the body itself.

The Nerazim leaders stared in shock. They couldn't believe what had just happened. Even the Khalai leaders stared in disbelief. None of them imagined that this would happen. They all came to the summit in order to discuss a dream, now a leader was dead at the feet of a fellow leader. Only Shak'keen and Zarvyn looked contempt with what had transpired. The snide look on their faces said everything.

The initial shock passed and reality returned to the Nerazim leaders. Shock and sadness quickly turned into rage and hatred. They could no longer ignore or accept the garbage and trash that was thrown their way just for having a different distinct ways of life and their refusal to join a religion that took away their individuality. Zeratul could feel the seething fury that his brothers amassed. Even he was having trouble holding his anger back but he compelled himself to endure.

"Zarvyn, you fool! Do you not realise what you have done? By intentionally killing the leader of the Altary Tribe, you have openly declared war upon them!" shouted out Wargan'us.

"Wargan'us, you forget that I possess a tribe that is on par with even yours. We are the two strongest Khalai leaders, do not think for a moment that I would be intimidated by the Altary Tribe and its inferior scum," Zarvyn said harshly.

"Exactly! Darkeen had what was coming to him! Threatening a fellow leader is a foolish thing to do! You Dark Templar do not think of your actions! You let your emotions control your actions and are too simple minded!" Kuriana followed up.

"Of course! The Nerazim are but brutes that lack an intellectual brain that we possess! They should know better than to mess with the likes of me. Harming me will be the last decision anyone will ever make!" Shak'keen agreed.

"That is enough! We are no longer going to stand aside and let you Khalai fanatics do what you wish anymore. For too long have we endured your constant harass, your foolish demands, and your heinous acts against us! Ever since the Brood War, you have taken the impression that you are the rulers of this planet and that your Khala has bequeathed upon you the right to do anything that you so desired! You refuse to acknowledge us as equals and act as if we are inferior life forms! You have considered us outlaws, you have banished us, you have insulted us and now you have killed our own! Do not think that the actions of you all will go unnoticed! It is time that we draw the line!" Zaryus roared.

"You tyrants do not feel guilt or remorse! You never extend your hand out to us. You use it to whack away ours! Our Matriarch had a beautiful dream, but we have seen the reality. We can never be as one. We will never live I harmony with one another! The only way for such a thing to ever be obtained is by knocking you off your pride that carries you around unknowingly and crushing you in a way that would obliterate your overweening pride!" Zakulis followed up.

"You know not of what you even speak of you blasphemers! What are you going to do about it then? Will you try to achieve your infantile vengeance and banish us from Shakuras like we did to you on Auir? Do not make us laugh! Such nonsense is impossible!" Huriana responded.

"No, we now know that it has to go deeper than that. Simply hiding the problem won't do us any good. We have been left with no other choice. It is time…for war!" Zaryus said loudly.

He took the bracelet on his arm and ripped it off and crushed it to dust with his hand. The bracelet itself symbolised peace and stability among the other tribes. It was an international call of peace and balance that every leader was forced to wear.

The leaders in the room let out a gasp at Zaryus's call for war. Though surprised, the Dark Templar couldn't help but heavily agree. Fourteen of the eighteen Nerazim tribe leaders concurred and shouted agreements and threw around petty insults. The other three kept themselves silent and stared at the other and nodded suspiciously. The meeting room became full of conflict once more.

As the Dark Templars agreed amongst themselves, the Khalai leaders seemed startled. They felt that they heard the statement wrong but they knew inside that they were correct. War was declared, and they were uneasy about the situation. They felt that their backs were against a wall of spikes with another one closing in on them.

"I'd like to see you and your people try!" Zarvyn said.

"Zarvyn, are you out of your mind! Why are you trying to escalate this even further?" Karahyis whispered urgently.

"What is the matter with you all? You sit there like frightened humans! Are you that hesitant? Are you that fearful of these sinners? Fools, you forget that the Khala shines upon us! We cannot lose to those savages who live in the dark. We who represent the Khala's justice will strike down those who defy us! We are protected by the light and whoever lives outside of it can never harm us! Never will we allow your tainted hands to touch our purity!" Zarvyn shouted.

The other uneasy leaders looked at him and agreed. Their fear disappeared and they had a new stern sense of determination. They refused to lose to impure beings.

"Zarvyn is right! We have waited for the chance to eradicate the tainted filth and now the chance has come! Let us hold our heads up and face the task in front of us!" Shak'keen shouted in compliance.

Khalai leaders let out cries of agreement. They raised their fists in the air and pounded against an imaginary wall. Just like the Dark Templar, a number of tribal leaders remained silent and stared. A total of five leaders sat quietly, Wargan'us being one of them. He knew that this wasn't going to end well but he also knew that no one would listen to him. After hearing all of the insults that were thrown around in the past hour, it was clear that they were at a point of no return.

"From here onwards, war will determine which side will be eradicated for good! I suggest that you say your goodbyes. Neither of you will survive after this. Your heads will be jabbed onto stakes!" a random Templar said.

"Gather up all you can, it will be too saddening if you didn't even put up a proper fight!" shouted out another from the opposite group.

All at once, the Dark Templars stood up. The psionic pressure within the room increased drastically. The Khalai leaders watched frustrated and angered as they saw particles in the air tremble at the increasing pressure. A lot of them had dirty looks on their faces. Black mist began to surround every one of them. Even Zeratul was being wrapped around by it. One by one, the Nerazim leaders disappeared in their fog of smoke. The psionic pressure dropped as each leader left. Soon after, there was only one Dark Templar remaining. His eyes glowed within the shadows of the room.

"We will kill you all down to the last woman and child and stain this planet with their blood. Just you watch," he taunted before finally disappearing.

The cold words sent a chill down the Khalai leaders' spines. They couldn't help but feel as if the taunt meant something more. They looked around and saw that Zeratul had left with them. They scowled and sat unaware of the true seriousness of what was to come. The room felt devoid of life and hollow. Battered tables and the lifeless body that lay on the ground turned their stomachs and they quickly grew sick of the room. With the exit of their counterparts, the summit was called to an end and they no longer were obligated to stay. They all began to leave the ancient building with mixed emotions. Some felt good while most felt nervous but none of them uttered anything to the other. Silence fell upon them all and they were unsure of how to proceed, except for Zarvyn who felt ready. After the last leader left, the door to the building sealed shut. Cracks became visible all over the superstructure but no one noticed as they walked away with their backs turned away from it. The peace that the building reflected felt like caving in. Every single leader brought with them what little peace that they had to the summit. Now as they journeyed back down the mountain, they held in their arms the seeds of war.

A few minutes later, a black fog reappeared in the meeting room again. Zeratul emerged from the smoke and looked around. Once he was sure of everyone's departure, he headed towards Darkeen's body. He bent down onto his knee and turned him onto his back. He put his arms under him and lifted his chest upwards. He ripped off a piece of his cape and wrapped it around Darkeen's chest and wiped away as much blood as he could. He dropped his body slowly and raised Darkeen's head. He took his hand and moved it over his eyes and closed them. He lifted his body over his shoulder and began to surround himself in the fog again. He appeared outside of the building and began his journey to the Altary Tribe. He wandered alone and was consumed by his thoughts. His brethren were going to slaughter each other on the battlefield. He could sense the cries of anguish and sadness coming from the innocent. More of his people's blood was going to be spilled than ever before in Protoss history and he no longer had the influence or the power to stop them. Maybe the future of the universe was doomed, just like Samir Duran had foretold.


	3. Chapter 2: Artanis

**Chapter Two: Artanis**

A single year had passed since the summit. Leaders from both sides disagreed with the war and tried to negotiate with the other. Those hesitant on fighting hoped that the conflict could be settled with words instead of blood. However, with the Nerazim people pressuring their leaders to do something and Zarvyn's influence over his fellow tribal leaders, war broke out inevitably like a volcanic eruption. Following the events at the summit, the Dark Templar created an alliance of fifteen tribes and called themselves the Home Guard Protectorate. To counter their enemy, the Khalai leaders formed the Khalai Alliance. Only twelve of the eighteen joined. The other nine tribes, both Nerazim and Khalai alike refused to partake in the war. They kept themselves out of the fighting and to ensure their safety, they created their own alliance called the Daelaam that represented all those who wished to live in peace and coexist with each other.

The Nerazim, who wished to take advantage of their stealth, infiltration and larger numbers sent in spies and a number of warriors to deal a quick and decisive blow before the Khalai Alliance was fully ready. Zarvyn, the military leader of the alliance anticipated the attacks and was able to put a quick end to their hopes and plans. After a number of skirmishes and battles, the war quickly turned into a stalemate with one side unable to move against the other.

_Artanis struggled to reach the bridge. A nearby explosion caused the ship to shake violently. It caused him to collide into the wall next to him and fall to his knees. The lights flickered repeatedly; he smelt smoke and heard parts of the ship tear itself apart. He got back up and ran past multiple other crewmembers who hurried to the escape pods. The smell of burning fuel made him uneasy and nauseous. The horrible stench grew stronger the closer he got to the bridge but he made himself endure it. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He was nervous, confused and didn't understand what his master was doing. He thought that they were winning. Why did his masters call out such an order? He had little time to think clearly. Everything was happening all at once and he had no time for anything._

_ He saw the door to the bridge and hurried towards it. When he tried to open it, he discovered that it was locked. He tried to unseal the door but to no avail. He felt frustrated and annoyed. He activated the psionic blade on his arm and stabbed it into the door and began cutting a hole large enough for him to get through. Sweat formed all over him. The heat and sparks coming from the door sprayed onto his body and made him wince at the intense heat. He heard another explosion. It sounded like it came from the engine room and he began to panic. He sped up his pace and after a few minutes, he was finished. He kicked the door down and ran inside. He saw his master standing on the cliff like ledge. His master looked outwards to the scenes unfolding outside._

_ "Tassadar!" Artanis called out to him._

_ Tassadar seemed startled at the call of his name. He didn't hear the door break down. He was too focused on preparing himself._

_ "Executor Artanis, what are you still doing here?" he asked._

_ "That is what I should be asking you! Why did you order everyone off the Gantrithor? What are you doing?" Artanis asked urgently as he walked closer to Tassadar._

_ "You shouldn't be here Artanis. I told you and the others to leave," Tassadar said seriously._

_ "I don't care! What is going on?" Artanis asked._

_ Tassadar stared at the ground trying to avoid Artanis's eyes. He looked back up to him after a few seconds._

_ "Our people are dying down there…The remainders of the Zerg Swarms have rallied together and are launching their final attempts to stop us. With the casualties that we have been dealt, we cannot continue our push. Commander Raynor and Praetor Fenix are covering our warriors' retreat and Zeratul is too far away to deal the finishing blow. The Gantrithor is the only ship close enough and durable enough to continue onwards," Tassadar explained slowly._

_ "What are you trying to say?"_

_ "If Zeratul and his brethren cannot reach the Overmind, I am the only option that our people have left," Tassadar said a bit solemnly._

_ "No…You cannot mean…"_

_ "Yes, Artanis…As I said before the fighting started, only the powers of the Void, which the Dark Templar wield, can truly harm the Overmind. I am the only of our people alive who has mastered their powers along with our own and I am the nearest Void user. Only I can truly kill the Overmind…"Tassadar explained further._

_ "Tassadar, there has to be another way! Maybe if we fall back now and gather up more people, we will be able to finish off the Overmind!"_

_ "There is not enough time; it has to be down now. The Overmind is capable of warp travel. It will escape back to Char if I do not finish it. I am sorry Artanis, there is no other way," Tassadar said._

_ "The Gantrithor won't make it! It will explode and kill you with it! Tassadar, you must be reasonable!"_

_ 'It is a risk that I must take. If I can gather up enough power and hurl the energy at the Overmind, then this will all be over,"Tassadar said reassuringly._

_ The wall next to them exploded into thousands of pieces. Artanis covered himself with his arms to block the flying shards. The pieces of flying metal merely bounced off of Tassadar's psionic shield._

_ "There is little time left, we have five kilometers before I enter striking distance. You must get out of here Artanis and quickly!" Tassadar ordered._

_ "No! I refuse to leave your side! I can't just let you do this alone!"_

_ "Artanis,"_

_ "I said no! You are one of the greatest Protoss warriors in our history! You were right about everything! If the Conclave had believed you, then his wouldn't have to happen! I won't leave!"_

_ "Then you leave me no choice…" Tassadar said calmly._

_ Artanis felt himself get lifted into the air. He waved his arms and legs trying to get back onto solid ground. He looked over and saw Tassadar staring at him with his yellow eyes. His master was causing him to levitate with his powers. Artanis began noticing that he was moving towards the hold in the ground and started to panic again._

_ "Tassadar! What are you doing? What are you doing?" he asked again and again._

_ "I am getting you off of my ship before it's too late," Tassadar responded._

_ Artanis now floated over a demolished floor and thought that he was going to be killed by his own master. He cried out for him to stop but then he saw something beneath the wreckage. It was an escape pod that looked undamaged. That was when he realised what Tassadar was doing. He was going to force him into the escape pod and eject him out of the ship. He started shouting out in defiance of Tassadar's plans and tried to break free from Tassadar's technique. It was all a futile effort though. Artanis had the abilities of a mere child compared to Tassadar's mastery over both his and the Nerazim's power._

_ "Artanis…before you go…I want to say thank you for what you have done for me. I would never have gotten this far without your aid. You believed in me, someone who was branded a traitor and you fought to defend my pride and honor no matter how little it was. You helped save my life and you are one of my most loyal followers. You are of great importance to me and I know that you have just as much potential as I do to save our people. That is why I cannot let you stay with me. I can never thank you enough for all of your dedication. Do not believe in you who believes in me. Don't believe in me who believes in you. Have faith in the you who believes in yourself! Goodbye Artanis, may Adun be with you…"_

_ Artanis started dropping lower and lower towards the escape pod and further away from his master. He continued to cry out but of little use. Tears filled his eyes and thought little of his master's final words to him. He couldn't accept any of this but he was powerless to resist. He saw the wreckage disperse the closer he got to it and saw the escape pod open up. He was pushed into it and the door sealed shut. Tassadar quickly activated the escape pod and aimed it to land in allied territory. Artanis banged on the door repeatedly hoping it would break. He even tried to use his psionic blade to slice the door open but Tassadar reinforced the door with psionic energy. He couldn't break through it._

_ He heard the pod turn on by itself and begin to shake. The engine activated and the pod blasted through the rest of the wreckage. Artanis continued to cry as he banged the window of pod._

_ Tassadar stared satisfied but also a bit sad as the escape pod distanced itself from his ship. He closed his and began to focus._

_"My brethren, the Overmind has been weakened, but I fear that we have sustained severe damage ourselves. I will steer the Gantrithor into a collision course with the Overmind. If I can channel enough of the Dark Templar's energy through the hull of the Gantrithor, I should be able to bring swift death to the accursed abomination. Remember us my brothers. Remember what was done here today. May Adun watch over you all," everyone within a hundred mile radius heard._

_ Artanis soon crashed landed onto a nearby hillside and scrammed to get out of it. After the door automatically opened, he jumped out and stared at the Gantrithor. It drew closer and closer to the Overmind and he fell to his knees._

_ He saw Zerg Mutalisks fly over his head and head straight towards Tassadar. They started attacking the ship and watched helplessly as more and more parts of the ship exploded. He could feel the immense amount of psionic energy gathering up inside of the Gantrithor and could only pray. Time slowed down for him. He did not focus on anything else besides Tassadar. His entire body shook nervously. A warp hole appeared kilometers above the Overmind. Artanis assumed that the Overmind was trying to use it to escape and travel back to the planet of Char. He became filled with a lot of emotions that struck deep into his core._

_ Then he saw what he considered the end of the world. The Gantrithor exploded and combusted into flames. His eyes widened as he couldn't believe what he had just seen. Millions of pieces scattered and were sent flying in all directions. Darkness filled the sky due to the sunset and he heard thunder in the distance. His master was dead. Tassadar had failed. Artanis was right; the ship was unable to endure the Zerg's relentless attacks long enough to get into striking distance. The Zerg had won. There was no one who could stop the Overmind now. He and his people were without hope, a savior, and a leader. It was over, they were all doomed. Artanis punched the ground and cried._

_ A sudden light within the sky caught his attention. He looked back up to the horrible scene and felt the psionic energies of his master. He saw a bluish white ball of swivelling energies floating in the sky and noticed the pieces of the Gantrithor gather up inside the ball of pure energy. The pressure that the energy ball brought was vast. Artanis felt as if his weight had tripled. When the last piece of energy entered the condensing ball, the sphere of power rammed right into the Overmind and Artanis heard the scream that it let out. The energy wrapped itself around the Overmind and began to break it down piece by piece. It was like it was being dismantled into billions of pieces that were small as atoms. When the final tendril like limb was broken, Artanis felt both Tassadar and the Overmind disappear forever. Sadness filled his hollow soul._

_ "TASSADAR!"_

Artanis opened his eyes and shot up. He breathed heavily as sweat poured down his face. He looked around and found himself in his own bedroom.

"It was only a nightmare," Artanis muttered to himself while blinking numerous times.

After gathering up his surroundings, he calmed down a bit. He let his body drop back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He removed his covers to help cool him off. His now dampened bluish pale skin glistened in the twilight.

His thoughts began to loom over to his dream. It was the fifth time that he had the same dream and this one felt worse than the last time too. He put his hand over his blue eyes and thought about things.

"I wonder what would have happened if you had survived…" he asked himself. "You probably would have done a much better job than I did..."

He thought back to the events after the Brood War and was displeased with how it turned out. It was because of those events that it had reduced him to where he was now, a mere High Templar warrior. He had his chance to unite his people but ended up spoiling the chance back when Zeratul failed to return from Char. The painful memories that raced through him made Artanis want to think of something else. His eyes felt droopy and decided to try and fall back asleep.

The next half hour of his life was wasted while squirming around in his bed trying to get into a comfortable position. His dreadlock appendages that flowed from the back of his head made it more difficult to lie down in a good position. He also got cold without his sheets and too hot with them on his body. It made him aggravated and he sat up out of frustration. He pushed his covers aside and got out of his bed. He disliked being up so late at night but he just couldn't fall back asleep. He put on some clothing that consisted of a poorly made furry loincloth that wrapped around his waist and thin midsections with a length that stretched down to his thin thighs. He put on a metallic sash that connected from his loincloth to his shoulder and then exited his living quarters.

He could see some of the stars closest to Shakuras as he passed by windows in the hallway. They glittered brightly and so marvellously. It was quite rare for him to see them like that. The stars always appeared when he was fast asleep. He always tried to stick to a curfew that came when the sun went down. After staring at the dazzling stars for a few minutes, he continued onwards with his walk through the building.

The living section was divided into ten blocks. Each one had the shape of a rectangle and housing a total over a thousand Protoss. Each block had ten sparring rooms that were the size of coliseums. His living quarters was close to both a sparring room and the exit of the large building. He was located on the first floor and he was getting closer to the sparring room. He began hearing a thumping sound but couldn't make out what it was. It echoed through the metal hallways and it grabbed his attention. He made his way closer to the source of the sound until it brought him to the sparring room. He opened the door by placing his hand on the scanner and it slid open.

He entered the enormous room and saw someone who immediately made him feel better. His friend Bakshan was jumping around while dodging a bunch of projectiles. From the distance, he watched her do flips in the air and leap off her hands in the darkness with only the twilight allowing things to be visible. The way that she moved seemed so majestic. She looked so peaceful despite dodging things being hurled at her. She was a fit Protoss warrior. She trained every single day and kept a very strict schedule. She was looked upon by many as marvelous and unique. There was no one else like her in the tribe. A lot of the female warriors envied her but also considered like an icon to look up to and strive to be like. Her short and severed dreadlocks were tied into a short pony tail with a bandana cloth tied at the ends of it. The cloth hid the edges of her dreadlocks but did not mask her facial features. She wore a black vest like shirt with ragged edges made out of a soft fabric that ran down to her thin midsection. From there, she also wore a loincloth with the center reaching down to her knees. She wore elbow and knee pads as well. Compared to him, she was only half a foot short than Artanis making her stand seven and a half feet tall without wearing anything to increase her height.

When Bakshan dodged the last projectile fired at her by the machine fifteen feet away from her, Artanis took the break to walk over to her.

"Artanis? Is that you? What are you doing up at this hour?" Bakshan asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? Don't you think it would set a bad example to the rookies if they saw you disobeying the standard curfew?" Artanis said jokingly.

Bakshan let out a chuckle or two and then turned serious at the thought of the joke being an insult. Artanis noticed the slight change in her expression and tried to change the subject.

"So, what are you doing up at this late?" Artanis asked quickly.

Bakshan started walking over to a bench with a box sitting on it and Artanis followed right behind her.

"I'm just doing my night training like I do every night at the exact same time," Bakshan replied while putting emphasis on the last bit.

"Oh, I see. Aren't you working extremely hard? Though, that is actually quite normal for someone who has the rank of Dark Knight," Artanis said.

"Not exactly, there are a number of Dark Knights who simply do not care as much as they should. Though they know that they have great influence, they continue to do foolish things that effect how those new rookies act. Thanks to my father, I know how much work and dedication it takes to do the role properly," Bakshan responded.

"Ah, I see," Artanis replied sounding a bit shaken.

The both of them sat down on the bench. Bakshan sat next to her box of items while Artans sat on Bakshan's opposite side.

"I'm not trying to say that they don't deserve their rank. They surely have what it takes but they should take into consideration of their actions. Well, in my opinion at least," she continued. "Especially that brute named Chulakus. He is definitely strong but he really lacks that obedience. His ego is on par with his strength…sadly…Did you know that he tried to woo me in a pathetic attempt to show off his ineffective charm?"

"I can scarcely believe that!"

"Indeed, it really happened," Bakshan said.

"And what was your response?"

"I rejected him using every single method possible and when he didn't accept my answer, I smashed him into a wall," Bakshan said laughing.

Artanis laughed with her at the insanity of the scenario

"And what did he do after that?"

"I'm not sure actually, I left while his comrades were pulling him out of the rubble," she replied while still chuckling. "So, enough about me Artanis, why are you up so late? I know that you have your own schedule that you follow and staying up late isn't on it."

"Oh…um, well…It's pretty silly actually," Artanis replied a bit hesitantly.

Bakshan became serious and stared at him with some sort of look that a mother would have on a child who was lying. It made him feel a bit awkward and nervous despite her being one of his closest friends.

"It was just a nightmare…Well, the same one that I told you last time actually…" Artanis said tilting his head feeling ashamed.

"The one about Tassadar?"

"Yes…"

"Artanis, are you beating yourself up again?" Bakshan asked seriously.

"Who said that I was doing that?" Artanis said taking offense.

"No one, but as your friend, it is quite visible to me when you are not your usual self. I've seen you beating yourself up for things of little value. I've said it before, none of this is your fault," Bakshan said in a more passionate voice.

"Yes it is! I was trusted to lead our people to peace and stability when the Protoss Empire was formed after the Brood War. If I wasn't so traumatized by the incident with Aldaris and my failure to gain vengeance against Kerrigan, I could have been more commanding when I was in power. I could have been able to control our people! Instead, I became too weak and weak hearted to stand up against Zarvyn and the others. Then the empire fell and broke up into feuding tribes that are now at war with each other!" Artanis said frustratingly.

Bakshan dropped what she was holding and placed them back into the box. She slid herself closer to Artanis and put her arm over his shoulders and patted his thigh. Artanis could feel her warm heart beat and it gave him a fuzzy feeling.

"That is not in any way your fault. You just weren't ready for the job. They forced upon you a responsibility that would be difficult for anyone. You weren't ready for the role of Hierarch," Bakshan said trying to take off the pressure.

"The fact still remains that I trusted Kerrigan over Aldaris! Something that should have been obvious was completely blind to me!" Artanis replied. "The moment I started to trust her was the cause of this horrible chain reaction."

"Whether it was a chain reaction or not, that doesn't matter! Everything that happened up until now was inevitable. You weren't the spark; it was the decision by all of those arrogant elder leaders that was. The fact that you were chosen even though you weren't ready proves that it wasn't your fault. You were just placed in a horrible situation that was like a double edged warp blade!" Bakshan said.

"Even if that was the case, I am certain that if it was Zeratul or Tassadar who were in my position during the time, they would have done a much better job than I. Tassadar had so much expectation for me and I have disgraced his legacy…" Artanis said drowning in his own self-pity.

He felt himself get punched in the face. The force of the punch threw him off of the bench and made him fly five feet away from Bakshan. The impact of his body smashing against the side of the bench created a dent in the gold incrusted bench. Artanis quickly recovered and put his hands up to his left cheek where he had been hit and groaned in pain. Colliding and scraping against the metal floor didn't hurt but the punch did. Blood rushed to his face and caused the spot to darken. He looked up to Bakshan who stood over him disapprovingly and it caused him to look down.

"Artanis, you are a great warrior. You may not be as strong as Tassadar or Zeratul but you have qualities that make you great on your own. You don't need power or influence. You just need to have confidence in your own abilities. Despite what people may think, this war is not your fault. Unfortunate circumstances led from one thing to another and it needed an unlucky soul like yours to make it all happen. Take it from me Artanis; I know that you are a strong warrior. You just don't see it because you are stick in the past," Bakshan said.

She extended her hands to him and Artanis grabbed it. He felt himself get pulled up pretty fast and it caused him to stumble and almost fall back to the ground. He took in the message but not its meaning. Just like times before, Artanis did not heed the words that might have allowed him to finally move on.

"Thanks Bakshan. I feel better than I was before," Artanis said appreciatively despite not fully grasping what she was really saying.

He had his back faced to her and looked through the window. The twilight shined through it and enveloped him. He wondered if Bakshan was right. Maybe he did just need to believe in himself.

A silence followed and his mind drifted. Within the silence, he felt that he heard something. He knew that it wasn't the bleeping machine that wanted more projectiles but he couldn't tell what he was hearing. It sounded like something calling him from miles away. Just like how humans had a term for guardian angels, he wondered if someone or something was watching over him, maybe the gods, maybe the Khala, maybe it was even Tassadar.

He suddenly felt his shoulder get tugged and then his arm get pulled. It caused him to turn around and he felt warm arms wrap around him. He saw Bakshan's head rest near the top of his chest with her eyes closed. She felt so warm, and full of something that he lacked. He didn't know what exactly it was but he decided to not think about it and enjoyed the embrace.

After their warm hug, the both of them continued to talk about things that went on in the galaxy and before they both realised, an hour had passed. Bakshan gathered up her things, they both said their goodbyes and then scurried back to their dormitories to get some rest.

The next day, a loud knocking caused Artanis to wake up. He let out a grunt that indicated that he was still tired. As the knocking continued, it gradually became more numerous and louder. It got to the point that it forced him out of his bed. He went to his cabinet and took out a small container. The container possessed a bunch of colourful pills. He took one from the capsule and grabbed one of his dreadlocks from the tip. He brought it close to his hand that held the pill.

On command, the dreadlock divided in three pieces that opened out from the tip and dropped the pill into the throat of it. The tip then closed up and he let it flow back down his back. He quickly felt himself become wide awake and heard the knocking on his door. He swiftly changed into casual attire and walked over to the banged door. He put his hand on the scanner and the door slid open. His eyes fell upon a Zealot messenger clad in a golden power suit that covered his entire chest, arms, legs and feet. The armour sparkled in the shady twilight and made Artanis want a suit of his own. He noticed the Zealot inspecting his attire and saw a disapproving look on his face.

"You are High Templar Artanis I presume?" the Zealot asked with a smug attitude.

"Yes, that is me," he replied.

"Good, now get changed into something more appropriate. I highly recommend actual armour and not those rags," the Zealot said. "Also, when you are done changing, go to the sparring room down the hall."

"Um, very well, but what for exactly?"

"Templar Knight Dylari has been ordered to assemble a team composed up of twenty warriors. He needs skilled and experienced warriors at his disposal for a mission. I have been ordered by him to gather up the names on this list of candidates. Though, I don't get why you're on this list," the Zealot said rudely.

Before Artanis could respond to the insult, the Zealot already began walking away. He ignored the distasteful insult and took the news as a good sign. He felt excited. The fact that his name was on a list of skilled candidates made him feel good.

He turned around and walked towards his small armoury that was filled with a number of small objects. He walked to the far back of the room and stopped in front of three small hovering devices. The one on his left was in the shape of a blue sphere, the one in the middle was a gold coloured cube and the one on the right was yellow and shaped like a pyramid. He grabbed the cube and pressed a red button and then let it drop. Before the cube hit the ground, it levitated back up. It floated half way up to his chest and came to an abrupt stop. Artanis stepped back and waited. The device divided vertically in half and repelled away from the other. The two pieces shined a wide ray of light to each other and created a holographic screen. The screen became quickly covered with buttons that Artanis began pressing.

After Artanis finished punching in some sort of code, the two halves came back together and began to rotate at an extremely high speed. After around five seconds, it split horizontally. The halves repelled away until both components were hovering above his head and at his feet. Both halves split into two more pieces. Two pieces moved to the left and right of his head while the other two moved outwards to his small toe on each side. A rectangular electromagnetic field grid appeared from the four pieces and started hovering closer to him. As it came into contact with him, parts of his body began to light up and shine. After a few more seconds, the grid finished passing through him.

Artanis looked at the mirror to his left and stated happily to himself at how he looked.

He now wore a golden elongated headpiece that wrapped around the front of his forehead and then converged down the sides of his cheeks. The crown shaped helmet had a blue crystal embedded right in the middle of it. He wore thin armor on the top half of his chest that covered his blue and purple robes. It made his shoulders look bulky and larger than they really were. Two pincers protruded from his shoulder guards and curved towards his head. The light armour on his chest slimmed down from the shoulders to the bottom of the part that stopped at his stomach. He wore forearm guards that helped allow him to control his powers and yellow sabatons on his feet. His pelvis region wore metallic armour that resembled the shape of a jock strap. His digitigrade legs wore no coverings and his dreadlocks were tied at specific segments to keep them together. He embodied the look of a true High Templar.

When he believed that he was ready, he exited his complex and made his way to the large sparring room.

When he got there, he was surprised see at least fifty different candidates. He thought that there were only supposed to be twenty. He wondered about whether the Zealot was misinformed or not. He decided to forget about it and went over to join the crowd. People talked amongst each other and the room became quite noisy. Artanis disliked all of the noise and wished that there was someone here who was managing everything in an orderly and quiet fashion. The room was like an unorganized office and he slowly retreated to a lone bench to get away from it all. From the corner, he could see a lot of different warriors whom he knew.

There was Brakul, a skilled Dark Templar assassin, Ajura, a Dark Templar combat specialist who was very agile, Toridarun, a Khalai Templar who was quite tall even for a Protoss, and then there was Devakkar, one of the few Zealot Elites who he almost despised. Devakkar always used his physical superiority to win an argument no matter how significant. He was a bully as well as arrogant. He had a short temper that reflected his infantile attitude. He often taunted Artanis for being almost his exact opposite, a weak fragile Templar who was more intelligent and skilled in psionic energy.

However, none of them where actually his comrades, they were barely acquainted with each other. They were just people whom he used to go on missions with after the Brood War.

As Artanis looked around seeing if there was any other people whom he'd met before, the crowd quickly grew silent. The crowd split in half, backed away from the other and made a path. Artanis got up and ran to join the crowd. He was able to shove his way to the front and was able to see Templar Knight Dylari hovering his way towards them from the entrance. Artanis stared in awe like a child watching fireworks for the first time. Dylari was a very kind Templar. He was a laid back sort of Templar who never seemed to lose his patience with anything. Nearly anyone got on his bad side and he hated no one. He regarded everyone as his brother or sister.

Templar Dylari made his way through the space formed by the crowd and faced them all once he reached the opposite end.

"En Taro Adun my brothers! I appreciate you all for coming! As you all may have heard, I am hand picking a total of twenty warriors whom I deem the most skilled and experienced. Those twenty warriors will become the members of a group that will be selected for an important mission addressed to us by Master Wargan'us himself. The way that this will work is that I will go through all of your backgrounds and then see what you all excel at. I will determine your importance and value to the team and choose accordingly. I will go through everyone here and then take a few more minutes to pick my twenty warriors. Is that all clear?" Dylari said loudly.

"Yes!" everyone said at once.

"Good, now everyone, please take a seat on the bench and wait for me to call you up. The order will be from eldest to youngest," Dylari said while taking a seat in front of a large random table.

_"When did that get there?"_ Artanis thought while staring at the table.

Everyone including Artanis walked over to the benches that stretched across the entire room and sat down. The scraping of armour against the other was heard from everyone as they sat down.

"Moridar, you are up first!" Zanarki yelled.

The first Protoss got up and walked over to the desk.

After at least five minutes, he was told to sit back down. The people in the front of the line leaned in closely to heat what the Knight was saying. Artanis sat in the middle next to strangers. He could hear the whispers rolling down the line but it randomly stopped at him. The person next to him didn't lean over to tell him anything. He and the rest of the people on his right were left untold of what was being asked or said.

He thought of stuff to pass the time. He knew that he was going to be the last few Protoss left. He was one of the youngest Protoss to ever become High Templar.

He began wondering what the mission was about. Were those selected, going to go on some sort of mission that could end the conflict once and for all or was it going to be a recon mission to gather intelligence that would change the outcome of it. Maybe it was a plan to escalate the fighting even further or even be a trap set up by enemies to ambush them. Could it be possible that they were just going on patrol or protecting some sort of location? The possibilities seemed endless and as he thought deeply about it, time flew by.

While he thought of stuff, forty nine names were called out. He was able to return back to his current thoughts just in time for his name to be called out.

"Artanis!" Dylari called.

Artanis got up and began walking over to his superior. He looked at the row of selected people and saw Devakkar staring at him. Artanis looked away and hoped that if he got picked, that Devakkar wouldn't be picked as well. He didn't think that he could work well with someone who harassed him weekly.

He got to the table and took a seat in front of the Knight. Dylari looked through holographic files and shoved one behind the other.

"Okay Artanis, don't threat, this won't take very long. I have your entire history within this file right here. I am just going to look through it a bit and then ask you some questions," Dylari said in a calm and soothing voice.

Artanis nodded and leaned back against the chair. The clanging of his armour against the seat echoed through the room and it caused people to look his direction. He felt blood rush to his face and turned a darker shade of blue. He stared at Dylari and tried to gain an idea of what he thought of him but he had some sort of poker face that he couldn't read and his mind was sealed from the outside. It was clear that Artanis would have to wait. After a few minutes, Dylari put down the files.

"You reached the rank of Executor and Praetor at a very young age. I've never seen something like that before. Apparently, you are no longer either rank. Why is that exactly?" Dylari asked.

Artanis seemed a bit dumbfounded at the question. His reason was clearly stated in his background file. He thought about telling the truth but he was worried that it would severely worsen his chances but he didn't want to lie either. He was unsure if Dylari was testing him on his honesty or if he didn't actually know. He didn't know what to say but he eventually spoke.

"During my time as Praetor, I made a number of incorrect decisions that led to severe consequences. After failing as Hierarch, I was demoted back to the rank of High Templar status," Artanis explained briefly.

Dylari leaned back on his chair and nodded.

"I see, so leadership isn't really your strong suit,"

"Yes sir," Artanis replied.

"So what would you exactly contribute to the team if I decided to pick you?"

"Well, I may not be that physically strong but I am a ranged fighter. I use my psionic abilities as an act of defense and offense. I would be able to help support my teammates with my powers and I wouldn't be a sitting duck either," Artanis said clearly.

"When you were Praetor, you had a psionic level of eleven out of eighteen. Has that diminished in anyway?" Dylari asked.

"I would not believe so. I train regularly in order to improve the abilities that I am skilled at,"

"Interesting. Do you believe that you possess more power than an average High Templar?"

"I am rather young for my rank. I lack some necessary experience that is required to control my powers one hundred percent efficiently so I cannot say that I am more powerful than any other High Templar," Artanis said a bit excitedly.

"I see, thank you Artanis, that is all," Dylari said.

Artanis nodded and walked back to his seat. He looked back to the long row of Protoss and could easily tell who were patient and weren't.

He got back to his seat and sat down.

"Thank you all for your patience. Do not worry; I will now start the process of choosing. It will take a few short minutes," Dylari said

Artanis heard some snide comments and grunts from those around him. He stared blankly at a wall and waited.

After a few minutes, Dylari stood up. His legless hovering chair swayed back and he walked to the front of the desk.

"Please listen up everyone. I am going to call out the names of those on my newly formed team. For those whose names I do not call out, please accept my early apology and leave the room. You will have your chances again later onwards. Let's begin. May Furi'darun, Zagal, Ajura, Toridok, Kass'urun, Bezla, Mirakt, Seerya, Hashil'myok, Wryzac, Qruatilar, Aados, Hyjaka, Heliok, Raz'yuru, Zaxak'frigor, Fivorsacar, Roysha'zakta, Dembarx, and Artanis all come and stand near the desk please!"

Artanis immediately heard a lot of groans and moody comments when he heard his name. He ignored them and walked up to the side of the desk where the other nineteen were going. As he walked past the other, he saw Devakkar throw him a hateful look which made him take a few steps away from the bench and tried to ignore the death stare. He saw others start to leave the room. Despite sympathizing with them, he felt proud of himself for being chosen. He almost jumped up in joy when he heard his name. He felt that his world was changing. It may have been only a mission but to him, he felt that he was finally being acknowledged as a skilled individual, something that he yearned for ever since he was demoted. He stood above the world along with the others.

"This is unjust! Why was I not chosen for your team? I am just as skilled as anyone up there!" Devakkar shouted in defiance.

He and the others turned to Chak'sal who had a very unsatisfied look on his face. The expression was similar to a spoiled child's face when they are unable to get what they demanded for. Artanis heard the smug comments that were whispered. He felt that it would be cruel to agree and kept stayed quiet.

"I apologize, Devakkar but I have already made up my mind," Dylari said.

"That is absurd! I know that I am far stronger than…um…um…Artanis! Why would you pick that weakling over me?" Devakkar said with enough ignorance to last him his whole life.

"Artanis is more skilled than you in the mastery of psionic energy. True that you are strong when it comes to physical strength, but it takes more than that," Dylari said in defense.

"He is not stronger than me! I can crush him in an instant! Ask anyone up there, they would agree with me," Devakkar said.

"It is true sir, he is quite powerful. I won't deny his strength," said Bezla.

"I don't know about Artanis, but he definitely would be an asset to our team," agreed Fivorsacar.

"See? If they agree with me, then I should have the right to join!" Devakkar said.

"I cannot simply allow that. Anyone else who was rejected would assume the same thing. I picked these warriors here for a reason," Dylari responded.

"Then why Artanis? He is far weaker than I, and he hasn't been on a single mission ever since he got here! He lacks experience and he is weak!"

"You are only assuming that. You haven't seen him fighting have you?" Dylari said.

"Well no but I bet right now that it is true! Let me fight him. If he wins, then I will let your decision be final. If I win, then allow me to join instead of him!" Devakkar said while staring at Artanis.

Artanis stood annoyed and a bit in shock. He was extremely unhappy with how he was being insulted by someone who was flat out rejected by his superiors. He knew that he wasn't stronger but he had attributes that surpassed his. There was no denying it. He heard whispers saying that some of them agreed with Devakkar and there were others who didn't care.

"Very well then Devakkar. Your proposition is accepted," Dylari said with confidence. "Artanis, you will have a sparring match with Devakkar. If you win, you will stay and he will go. If he wins, he stays and you will go,"

Artanis's eyes widened in disbelief. He was certain that he did not hear that correctly.

Everyone could see the snide look in Devakkar's eyes. There was no doubt that he was happy that he was versing Artanis. He was ready to prove his superiority over Artanis and to earn that position on Dylari's team. He flexed out his muscles despite having his armour covering them. Artanis shook his head trying to make out what was happening. He was literally fighting for his place against someone who was faster, stronger and specialized in hand to hand combat, something that he lacked greatly of. He felt like a warship that had already crashed before taking off.

He walked over with the others behind him. He went face to face with Devakkar who gave him an expression that made Artanis want to cut him in two.

Dylari walked over to Artanis and leaned forward.

"I have complete faith in your abilities Artanis. Show him who is truly stronger," Dylari said encouragingly.

The other Protoss gathered around the two and gave them their space. They formed a ring that was eighteen meters wide in diameter. Dylari stepped to the side of the ring and was eager to see the fight unfold. On the left was Devakkar who stood in his armour and towered over Artanis. On the right was Artanis who wasn't feeling confident about the fight. He couldn't believe that Dylari had said yes to this unnecessary match, and the fact that he had confidence in him was worse.

It seemed obvious that he would lose because this was a fight that played against all of his weaknesses. His lack of knowledge in hand to hand combat would be his downfall. He was being tested on a skill that he never trained for a lot. The crowd cheered for Devakkar. They knew who was going to win and Artanis hated them for it.

"This is to be a clean match. No blades, no weapons, no intent to kill. The one who is unable to continue the fight any longer will be the loser! On the count of three, you both may begin!" Dylari said.

The small group cheered louder and it made Artanis feel more nervous and hesitant.

"One...Two...Three and commence!" Dylari said.

Before Artanis could respond, Devakkar charged right at him. Artanis tried to use his powers but was too slow to react. He was force to move out of the way and ran to Devakkar's starting position.

"What's wrong Artanis? Can't take me on?" Devakkar mocked.

Devakkar ran at him again and started throwing punches out to Artanis's head. Artanis was able to dodge most of them with minimum difficulty. His years of experience looked like they were paying off. Devakkar didn't anticipate this. He was surprised to see how little of his punches were getting through. He threw out another punch but stopped half way through and made Artanis flinch. Devakkar quickly turned to his side and let out a side kick. Artanis was able to block it from striking his third heart with his arms but was pushed back.

"It looks like you aren't as bad as I expected. At least I get to have some more fun," Devakkar said trying to maintain control.

Devakkar switched his tactic. He increased the speed of his attacks and switched focus from Artanis's head to other parts of his body. The increased speed made Artanis look like he was slowing down. He didn't have the reaction time or the swiftness to block most of the incoming attacks. Punch after punch and kick after kick were striking him head on with little resistance. His armor was being dented and becoming useless. After getting punched and kicked in the face, ribs, abdomen and chest, Artanis jumped back to the edge of the ring. Artanis stood there looking tired. Devakkar saw this and took a step back to regain his composure.

"Come on Artanis! Is that really all you got? Attack already!"

He was trying to find a way to do just that, but he lacked the amount of time to conjure up the right amount of energy and he was unable to focus due the relentless attacks. His face was sweaty and he could see the dozens of dents on his light armour. The crowd continued to cheer for Devakkar while booing at Artanis. It lowered his will to fight and demoralized him. He felt like surrendering despite not even throwing out a single attack.

"Are you ready to lose Artanis? You should have known that you could never stand against me in a fight," Devakkar said arrogantly.

Artanis stared unamused at the idiotic sentence. That was an obvious fact that anyone should have known. How could he take so much enjoyment from such a poor and dishonorable victory? It made him frustrated and irritated. Worst of all that no one was rooting for him. He had no point to fight. There was absolutely no reason why he should continue letting himself get beaten up for a spot that he didn't even want anymore. Dylari was doing little to give him encouragement even though he put him in this position.

Devakkar began his charge and raised his fist into the air. Artanis stood idly and decided to just give up. Let the pain end quickly instead of allowing it to continue onwards. It was over. He had lost it before it had even begun. He readied himself to take the final blow.

"It's over!" Devakkar screamed out.

Artanis closed his eyes and waited. He felt slightly calmer and relaxed knowing that the humiliation was going to be over soon. It seemed that it was not his time yet after all.

_ "Do not give up. Do not falter at the face of adversity! Even against impossible odds, do not waver! Fight!"_

Artanis's eyes suddenly opened, he felt a burst of energy and immediately caught Devakkar's fist. His arms and legs gave off a mysterious white glow that looked like white clear flames. He held the fist as tight as he could and gave Devakkar a startling look. Devakkar tried to pull himself away but his hand wouldn't budge. The crowd stood silent at the changing tide.

"Fine, if you don't want to let go, then I'll beat you to a bloody pulp until you do!" Devakkar roared.

Devakkar threw another punch to Artanis's side but he caught that one too. With all of his might, Artanis pushed Devakkar's fists away. The sudden push caught Devakkar off guard and Artanis took the chance to side kick one of his legs with enough power to cause him to fall forwards. Artanis instantly got onto his hands and with full force; he used his legs to kick Devakkar in the chest as hard as he could. The kick brought Devakkar some mild pain, launched him into the air and sent him flying into the crowd. The crowd was forced to move out of the way. Devakkar struck the ground hard and he let out a grunt.

Artanis took the chance to prepare a blast of psionic energy and aimed carefully. The amount of psionic energy was enough to knock out an opponent without severely harming them. When it was ready, he hurled the ball in both his hands straight at Devakkar who was recovering from the impact. The psionic blast struck Devakkar and caused a cloud of smoke to form.

"It is over..." Artanis said calmly after a few seconds.

"No way, did Artanis just beat Devakkar?"

"I know, who would have thought?"

"Someone check if Devakkar is alright!"

"This can't be possible! How did Artanis suddenly do that?"

Artanis turned around and began walking away. He felt slightly tired now. Even though he had won the fight, he wasn't in the mood to celebrate. There was no honour in this fight. He was upset with how Dylari simply accepted the challenge for Artanis and that no one was on his side while he fought a losing and pointless battle.

"This isn't over you idiots!" Devakkar roared from the dispersing smoke.

Everyone including Artanis quickly turned around. Before anyone could see it, they saw a figure zoom past them and go directly for Artanis.

"Take this!" Devakkar screamed.

Artanis felt a blow to his stomach that was like a battering ram coming at a speed of a hundred miles per hour. The punch caused him to get thrown back twenty five feet. His eyes turned pale blue and he almost lost consciousness. He collided into the wall eight feet high and caused a large dent to form. He fell to the ground and collapsed to the floor. Devakkar ran right towards him with his psionic blade activated.

"By the gods! He is going to kill him!" someone yelled.

Artanis attempted to get up but his body shook like crazy. His body felt numb and his mind was trying to grasp what had just happened. He looked up and barely saw the murderous weapon coming right at him. His abdomen secreted blood from his injured organs and he held it in agony. His mind was disorientated and he couldn't think straight.

Devakkar's eyes were burning with hatred and vengeance. His bloody thirsty blade came one meter away from Artanis but something repelled him back. It was like he ran into a super flexible material that caused him to reflect off course. Devakkar landed in a forward position with his body leaned forward; his legs spread apart, his head one foot from the ground with a hand touching it too. He held his blade close to his face to show intimidation as his face turned a bit green due to his green blade.

When he looked forwards to see what stopped him, his heart sank when he saw Dylari standing in front of Artanis with his psionic shield visible to the naked eye. It was a blue transparent shield that allowed everyone but Artanis to see the angered look in Dylari's eyes.

"Devakkar! You have proven your point! You have won the battle. Artanis cannot continue the fight any further so you have earned your spot on my team but you are to stop here and now," Dylari said seriously.

The angered Davakkar stared unfazed and took a step forward trying to challenge the Knight to face him in his state. For a moment, he tried to get his eyes onto Artanis but within a blink of his eye, Dylari's shadow loomed over him. He looked up to see a darkened figure staring down onto him. Devakkar suddenly felt the immense psionic pressure around the Knight. It weighed him down and he felt frozen. He felt blades stabbing into every tissue in his body. It felt like the gravity increased by tenfold. He saw Dylari's peaceful yellow eyes turned dark like a monster and saw a red aura around his eyes.

"I warned you once and that is all I am giving you. Stop right now or I will crush your skull like an egg in less than a blink of the eye. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?" Dylari said in a demon like voice that sounded as if it possessed hundreds of souls. His voice felt so deep and frightening. It didn't even sound like him anymore. It sounded like true evil.

Devakkar stared absolutely terrified. His body trembled in fear and his legs buckled. He fell to the ground and tried backing away.

"Y-y-y-ye-yes l-lord D-Dy-Dylari," Devakkar said fearing for his life.

"Good," Dylari said cheerfully.

Everything quickly returned to normal and he turned away from Devakkar. He walked over to Artanis and leaned down to see if he was alright.

"Artanis, are you alright? Can you hear me? Say something if you can,"

"Y-yes?" Artanis said confusingly.

Dylari looked down to his bleeding abdomen and took out a small metallic cube. He pressed the button on top of it and it divided up into four small cubes of the same size. The four cubes hovered over to Artanis's wound and rotated around his waist. The edges of each cube shot out a blue ray that connected to the other cube and formed a bigger cube that hovered around Artanis.

"Hold still, this device will stop the bleeding," Dylari said.

Artanis merely nodded as he zoned out continuously. The crowd of warriors walked over to them and ignored Devakkar who sat by himself still trembling.

"Is he going to be alright?"

"He should be fine. He was hit with a lot of psionic energy by that last punch but it isn't anything that can't be healed. If it had a bit more energy, it could have torn through one of his significant organs. You are pretty lucky that you didn't make him madder than that, Artanis," Dylari said trying to crack a joke to lighten the mood.

Artanis mumbled in response and sat there with his back to the wall. After a few minutes of sitting there, Dylari's healing device finally finished its job. The bleeding had stopped and it had repaired most of his tissues. There was going to be some obvious bruising but it was the least of his worries. Dylari put his device back into the pocket in his chest armour. He helped Artanis up and said that everyone could leave. The crowd quickly dispersed and Dylari helped Artanis back to his close living quarters.

"I am sorry Artanis, I had underestimated him and I lost you your position on my team…I did not think that Devakkar would be so resilient. Please forgive me for my foolishness,"

"It is okay…When I think about it, the position didn't seem worth this much pain…" Artanis replied

"If it means anything to you, I don't think Devakkar will be the same after today,"

"What does that mean?"

"I'll tell you another time,"

"Very well…" Artanis said tired.

After giving Dylari the directions to his home, Artanis was quickly dropped off and he limped to his room. When he got to his bed, he collapsed due to exhaustion and fell fast asleep.


	4. Chapter 3: War

**Chapter Three: War**

"Cheeeeecwaaaaaawaaaaa!"

Artanis woke up startled at the high pitched loud sound. He shot up from his bed and instantly felt his gut explode in pain. He let out a very painful yelp, held his head with his right hand while grasping his wound with his left. He waited at least twenty seconds for the pain to die down a bit and for him to get back to his senses. He looked outside his window on the left to see what made the loud chirp and saw one of his people's most hated animals, the dreaded Checwawa.

It was a harmless animal that was named after the unfortunate sound it made. It looked like a feathery flying lizard with a beak that was two feet long and had two wings on each side of its body. It eerily resembled the size of a pterodactyl and had short feet with talons. The animal was overall harmless and barely attacked anyone. It was famous for the annoying sound that it let out whenever it was hungry which happened quite often. They usually traveled alone and were barely ever seen in herds.

Artanis turned away from the big eyed creature and felt like laying back down. The only thing stopping him was the fact that he would have to get up again later and the pain that he had just endured made him think twice. It was almost a day since his fight with Devakkar and he had been asleep for more than nineteen hours. He looked down to the large dark gray bruise and remembered the beating he had endured. He looked over and saw his battered armour lying in a pile next to his cabinet and felt a bit sad. That suit of armour was the best looking one that he had and now it was dented and cracked beyond repair. Even if he did hire a professional, it would never look the same. He couldn't believe that he had sacrificed his best armour for the chance to get chosen for Dylari's team.

He looked at the sky through his medium sized window and noticed that the bird was gone. The continuous twilight that befell upon the planet caused the planet and the atmosphere to glow a dark violet shade. The clouds on the planet were thin and weren't that opaque. Artanis could see one of Shakuras's moons shining through one of them. The position in where it was at alerted him that it was around late afternoon. He struggled his way out of his bed while trying to find a method that would bring the least amount of pain.

While moving his legs to the edge of his bed, he felt a stinging pain in his gut. He almost let out a scream but held it in. The pain paralyzed his body and when he tried to move, the pain intensified. His skin turned pale as the pain grew unbearable. After a few agonizing seconds, the stinging sensation stopped and he was able to move normally again however, it left Artanis concerned. Artanis wondered whether or not he should go to the recuperation center to check out his wound. There, harmful injuries were treated and healed quickly but patients had to wait multiple days while recuperating in a resting room.

He had an itch appear on the side of his waist. When he went to scratch it, he felt the pain start to return and immediately stopped moving. He thought about it carefully and decided. He was going to the recuperation center. He had faith in Dyarli's words when he told him that he would be alright but he decided to go just in case. He got up and luckily, he didn't face a lot of pain while getting out of bed. He changed into blue robes that covered his shoulders, chest, waist and pelvic regions. His arms and legs remained uncovered. The simple task gave Artanis quite the challenge because doing it the normal way would cause him a lot of pain. When he was done, he walked out the door and made his way to the healing center.

It didn't take that long; he was able to reach it relatively fast. Fortunate for him, it was located only two blocks away so he didn't have to take very long. The hospital itself was a building on its own. It was located between two buildings. One housing the first four blocks while the other housing the next blocks up to ten. They were all connected by large hallways.

After checking into the hospital, he was put in the waiting room for around ten minutes. He sat patiently and looked at the broadcast screen in the room and watched a documentary on Shakuras's closest moon. As it was reaching the most interesting part, Artanis was called into one of the rooms. He hesitantly exited the waiting room and entered into the specialist's room.

The checkup didn't last very long, a maximum of fifteen minutes if anything. The specialist prescribed some pills which would heal the bruises and sore muscles at a faster rate. The stinging pain was said to be normal but he was advised to not strain his abdomen for a few days. Artanis thanked her and left her office. While leaving, Artanis felt much better than he did going in. He didn't have to worry about anything that might severely scar him or affect him later in his life.

He saluted a security guard at the door and started on his way back to his apartment. After three minutes of walking, he started to hear some screaming followed by laughter. It came from the entrance situated between the first building where he lived and the hospital. He walked towards the commotion and saw a group of Protoss that he didn't notice there earlier. He got himself closer without being noticed and saw something that he didn't like.

Artanis saw nine Templar, each wearing the same type of flexible cloth armour. There were a few who wore less armour and others who wore a bit more. Seven of them had Artanis's build. They had broad shoulders but thin arms and chests that narrowed down to their waists. The two others looked bulky and were more physically built than Artanis. They were all followers of the Khala. Artanis could tell by the length of their dreadlocks. Their dreadlocks flowed down to each of their backs.

They all surrounded someone else but Artanis couldn't tell who it was. He heard their laughter and the other distasteful comments that they threw out with little thought. He saw one of them jump onto a hovering chair close by and noticed that he held something in his left hand. By the way that the one on the chair acted, Artanis assumed that he was the leader.

Artanis edged himself closer to get a better visual of what was happening. He soon got close enough to hear what was going on without being spotted. He hid himself around the corner and watched closely as the scene unfolded.

"Give that back to me! It isn't yours!" Artanis heard one of them say.

From what he heard, that voice didn't belong to a male Templar. It had a different pitch and was smoother. The voice was surprisingly soft. It was softer than Bakshan's and sounded more feminine. Artanis quickly concluded that the one whom he couldn't see was a female Templar, stuck in the middle of the circle of hooligans.

"This is a nice amulet. Who gave it to you, a relative? A mate?" the Templar on the chair asked.

"That is none of your business. Just give it back to me already!" she replied.

"Oh come on. I just want to know. I would like to know how much they bought it for. This looks like it would be worth quite the amount of crystals," Mashuk said while looking at the amulet.

"Don't you dare!" she replied.

She dashed towards Mashuk in a futile attempt to get back her necklace but ended up banging into Zalir who was Mashuk's friend and guardian. She tried to get past him but Zalir blocked every one of her advancements.

"Well, aren't you rather touchy," Mashuk said.

The female rookie realized that she would have to get through Zalir first and tried to punch him. Before it could land, Zalir grabbed her wrist and flung her towards the other seven. They began pushing her around while laughing at her predicament. She became aggravated with her bullies and grew sick of being shoved around. She stopped herself mid push and withdrew back to the center

"Ugh! You call yourselves warriors? Are you all really satisfied with doing this to me without good reason?" she screamed out in frustration.

The rookie quickly felt her hands get grabbed and forced behind her back. She looked behind her and saw one of Mashuk's members restraining her. She tried to break her hands free from his grip but it seemed to be futile. She instinctively raised her leg forwards and then swung it backwards as fast and hard as she could towards her captor's leg. The force was enough for the captor to let go of her and hold his shin in pain. She pushed him aside and turned back towards Mashuk.

"Wow, you really are quite feisty...aren't you?" Mashuk asked tauntingly.

"Who cares? Just give me back my amulet and leave me alone!" she demanded.

"Oh, I am sorry. You won't be getting this thing back. It might be worth a lot so I might just take it off of your hands," Mashuk replied.

"Don't you dare try to do something to my mother's necklace! I will make sure you regret it if you do!" she said threateningly.

Mashuk merely scoffed at the threat.

"What's so funny? Are you enjoying harassing a lone female? What's wrong with you? Are you too weak to do this to male warriors so you have to harass innocent female warriors like me! How pathetic of you bunch!" she replied angrily.

Mashuk turned serious at the comment.

"Zalir! Grab her and make sure you don't let her go. Make sure she faces me, I want to make sure she sees this," Mashuk ordered.

Before Hexvanna could react, she felt her arm get pulled with enough force that it caused her to swing around into Zalir's arms. He grabbed her and forced her to the ground on her stomach where her legs couldn't touch him, her hands were held behind her back and her head faced Mashuk. She tried to break free but was unable to move. The other hooligans continued to laugh hysterically.

"Now then, considering that you have struck one of my men and that you have also called us all pathetic, I've decided to not steal your necklace. Instead, I will crush it and turn it into dust right before your very eyes!" Mashuk stated.

"No!" Don't!" Hexvanna pleaded while getting a grasp of her situation. She tried to force herself up but was too restrained to move.

Everyone around her began laughing hysterically at her. She could tell that something was very wrong here. She thought that this tribe would be friendly and welcoming. Instead, she was being bullied, harassed and forced to endure such idiotic and humiliating treatment. She tried to get up again but it was all a wasted effort. She looked up to Mashuk who gave her a dominating stare. Mashuk held out the amulet by the pendant and made it completely visible to Hexvanna's eyes.

"Please, don't!" she begged.

Her eyes began to water and she felt herself trapped in a hopeless situation. She wondered where her shining hope was amidst all of this darkness.

"STOP RIGHT THERE! ALL OF YOU!" Artanis roared while stomping himself into the lobby.

The loud outburst caught everyone's attention. Everyone looked towards Artanis who looked angry. They all shot him a look that told him to get out of there but he wasn't going to. His eyes were full of defiance. After so long, his voice was loud and it felt powerful.

Mashuk stared at him with a look of such arrogance that it turned Artanis's stomach. It reminded him of Devakkar and it made him unhappy.

"What do you think you are all doing?" Artanis screamed towards them all.

Everyone besides Zalir and Mashuk seemed intimidated by the angered Templar. Some even stepped back in fear.

"Are you blind? Isn't it obvious? We are just playing around and having some fun," Mashuk explained.

"Don't try to fool me. I've been watching you from around the corner. I've seen and heard everything. Give her back the amulet and leave her alone!" Artanis said loudly.

"And on whose authority? We have no reason to listen to you, a measly Templar!" Mashuk followed up.

"Authority has nothing to do with this. Can't you see that you are hurting her? Do you all have no pride?" Artanis asked while pointing to Hexvanna.

"Of course we do but it is obvious that you have confused our little fun with a more serious offense," Mashuk said.

"What you consider fun is rather appalling and cruel. I'd hate to think what you regard those two things as," Artanis responded spitefully.

"Hey!" Mashuk said.

He stepped off of the hovering chair and kicked it backwards. He walked over to Artanis with his head leaned forwards and the amulet tight in his hands. He stopped three feet away from Artanis and pointed towards the insignia on the left of his chest.

"Do you have any idea who you are even talking to? I'll have you know that I am Mashuk, Captain of the Eleventh Zealot Sub Division. You should speak to me with more respect. Do you even have a rank?" Mashuk said so ignorantly that it made anyone want to smash his face with a table.

Artanis scanned Mashuk's body carefully to make sure that he didn't have any hidden weapon that could harm him. He noticed that the symbol that Mashuk pointed to was from the Zealot Sub Division as he had stated. The insignia was a Protoss face with two psionic blades crossing behind it. Artanis knew that Mashuk was trying to use his rank as a means of forcing Artanis away but he wasn't going to let that happen.

"Of course I have a rank. I am a part of the High Templar Division of the Eighth Battalion. As you can see here on my shoulder, this is the insignia for High Templars," Artanis said pointing to the symbol on his shoulder.

Mashuk stared unfazed by Artanis's claim. He didn't know what the High Templar symbol look like so he couldn't tell if Artanis was bluffing or if he was serious. His own arrogance led him to believe that Artanis was lying. However, Zalir instantly backed away from Artanis shocked and intimidated. The other seven looked at him and wondered what was wrong with him. Zalir usually was quiet and calm but now he looked stressed out. Hexvanna took the opportunity to get back up onto her feet and to wipe away the tears in her eyes. She took a good look at the symbol on Artanis's shoulder and felt relieved and surprised. She couldn't believe that a High Templar had come to her rescue.

Mashuk noticed Zalir's change and turned back to him.

"Zalir, what is wrong. Speak up," he ordered.

"That symbol. The one with the Protoss head and two lightning bolts crossing the other. That is the mark of the High Templar! I'm certain of it. I have seen it before and it looks exactly like the one I saw!" Zalir said with his back against the wall.

All of Mashuk's men instantly backed away from Artanis as well. They hid behind the other as if there was a monster in front of them. They trembled in fear at the discovery that the one before them was revered as a High Templar. Even Mashuk was now hesitant. Sweat quickly formed on his face. He knew that he was no match for a full-fledged High Templar. Not only that, but Artanis's rank surpassed his own. By Military Code, he would have to listen and respect what he says, even if he didn't want to. He couldn't stand against him both in power and in status. Mashuk found it distasteful.

"By the look on your face, it seems that you finally understand your situation now. I can either deal with you personally or I can report your actions to our superiors. Either way, it will end badly for you unless you give back the amulet and promise to leave her alone," Artanis said.

He purposely stood up straight to make himself look taller and more intimidating despite being skinny. He ignored the slight discomfort in his gut that it caused.

"Very well, I will return the amulet and leave her alone from now on. Just make sure you keep this between the both of us and we have a deal," said the captain.

"As long as you keep your end of this deal, I will do the same," Artanis said.

Artanis gestured to pass over the amulet and Mashuk complied. Artanis quickly grabbed it from him and told him to leave with his group. Mashuk unhappily did as was told and led his group out of the lobby and towards the northern section. All that was left were Hexvanna and Artanis.

Hexvanna felt relieved to see them all gone. She couldn't believe how easy Artanis made it look to make them disappear. She was able to breathe normally and became relaxed again. Artanis walked up and returned the amulet to her. She quickly took it and brought it near her first heart in the left section of her chest.

Artanis took a good look of her while she hugged her necklace. He could tell that she was Khalai ethnicity due to her dreadlocks that went down to her waist. She wore dark blue robes similar to his with flexible metallic pads on her shoulders, knees and wrists. Her eyes were yellow and her skin was the same colour as his. Despite being scaly, her skin looked smooth as a human infant. She was seven feet tall and looked quite pretty when stared long enough.

"Thank you for helping me. I have no words to show how much appreciation I have for you right now. This necklace means a lot to me. I owe you so much," Hexvanna said softly.

"Do not make too much of it. I am sorry for all of the idiotic and cruel things that they put you through. Most Templars here do not act like that. They may have big egos but they aren't like them," Artanis said trying to sound reassuring.

"It is alright. As long as those people are gone, I won't think about it that much, but thank you though," she replied trying to regain her composure.

She saw her things dispersed across the room and began to gather them up. Artanis noticed and decided to help her.

"You don't need to help me anymore. You aren't obligated or anything. You have really done enough," Hexvana said trying to not make Artanis work more than he had to.

"Don't worry, I do not mind," he replied.

As he reached down to pick one up, he felt the pain in his gut start to rise and he stopped. He walked over to Hexvanna as if the box was never there.

"I can't thank you enough for everything that you've done for me these past few minutes. May I know your name?" she asked.

"Yes, you can. I am Artanis. What is yours?"

"My name is Hexvanna,"

"Are you new here?"

"Yes actually. I moved over from another tribe around a week ago due to the escalating war. I signed up for the Daelaam military situated in this area and I was sent here," she replied.

"I see, so where is your apartment located?"

"It is in Block Five I believe. I think it is for trainees if I recall," Hexvanna replied.

"You are correct. If you do not mind me asking, what tribe did you transfer over from?"

"I came from the Furinax Tribe," she replied.

"The Furinax Tribe? Is that not the one ruled by Zarvyn himself?"

"Yes it is. I was forced to come here due to the mandatory conscription of new warriors. I tried to keep a low profile because I did not wish to participate in the killing of my own people so I fled here,"

"That is a story that earns my respect. I am happy to know that there are those in the Khalai Alliance who hesitate in fighting, especially in the Furinax Tribe. They are one of the most powerful and technological advanced tribe among the thirty six. As well as the most aggressive and blood thirsty," Artanis said.

"Indeed, how about you? Did you originate in the Akilae Tribe or did you switch over?"

"I was born into this tribe. Back upon Auir, I was born as a noble tribesman, loyal to the Will of the Conclave. However, I sensed something about it that was not right. I was swayed by my master's words of reasoning and joined him, despite knowing the consequences. I betrayed both the Conclave, and my own tribe. However, after the Brood War, I was accepted and allowed to return but my family whom I long waited to see once more was not among the thousands of survivors," Artanis said sounding deeply saddened.

"I am sorry to hear that…as well as making you tell me that," Hexvanna said solemnly.

"Do not worry. I have gotten over my loss. There is nothing that could change it. By the way, were you part of the Furinax Tribe's military or did you avoid everything related to the fighting?"

"I was in training to become similar to your rank of a High Templar. I am planning to continue it here,"

"Really? That is quite intriguing. It won't be as easy as it looks though," Artanis said. "Unfortunately."

Artanis was actually interested in the conversation. He didn't have many friends to talk with and it felt good being able to easily converse with someone else besides Bakshan and ranked officers. Everyone regarded him weaker than they were and never bothered to befriend him. He was enjoying it so much that he didn't mind if it even made him late for something.

Hexvanna looked over to the mechanical clock in the lobby and started to panic.

"Artanis, I hope you can accept my apology but I must get going. Those brutes put me behind schedule and there is much that I still need to do," she said while gathering up all of her things.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. I understand," Artanis said trying to not sound a bit saddened at her sudden departure.

She gave Artanis a quick hug that caught him by surprise. She then grabbed all of her things and began running towards the fifth block.

"Farewell Artanis! Thank you once again for all you've done!" she said while leaving.

"It was…my pleasure…" he said slowly as she left him alone.

Artanis looked at the ground and then continued on his way. Despite feeling as if he had just gotten ditched, he felt proud of himself. He helped someone else who was in need of help. He also felt better about himself too. True that he was no longer an Executor or a Praetor but at least as a High Templar, he still had some authority over others. Primarily the hot headed ones like those that he had met just before.

He randomly looked up to the ceiling and stared at the crystal lights in the hallway. The amount of power required to light up the entire city must have been immense. To make everything visible enough for everyone to see and survive with the minimum light was quite a feat. He never studied Protoss advance engineering but it was obvious that a lot of changes have been made since the Aeon of Strife those millennia's ago. The amount of Kharyos crystals required to light up the city must have been more than a million tons. It was a good thing that those types of crystals were quite abundant on this world.

He entered his bedroom and slowly changed back into his sleeping attire which basically was a loincloth and some sort of sash on his shoulder. He opened the capsule that was given to him by his doctor and grabbed two small yellow and blue pills. He reached for one of his dreadlocks and brought it and the pills close to each other. The tip of the dreadlock opened and swallowed the pills and closed back up. Artanis didn't feel anything at first but decided to not think about how fast it should work. He carefully got into his bed and rested his head on his three dimensional solid hologram of a pillow. He closed his eyes and thought back to the beginning of his day even though it lasted less than an hour. After a few minutes of feeling happy and proud of himself, he fell fast asleep.

It was two days after Artanis had met Hexvanna but Artanis was feeling a bit disappointed at how he had not heard from her since. Due to a lacking of true friends in his life, he almost latched onto whoever he considered a worthy friend. Since he didn't think it would be wise to train while his gut still gave him pain, he started to read a book to get through the day and to help get Hexvanna off of his mind.

The book that he read was about Khaydarin crystals. It explained how they were not a crystal that the Protoss had modified and altered like the Kharyos crystal. They were blue organic crystals that were forged by their gods, the Xel'naga. Unfortunately they were not something that the Protoss themselves could engineer, replicate or manufacture despite possessing technology thousands of years above humans technology. They were however, able to use them for various purposes that benefitted them greatly. Khaydarin crystals were unique and very peculiar. They were made up of different materials that amplified their power and capable of storing large quantities of it. They were considered important and valuable to the Protoss.

Their value only increased when Auir, the planet being the richest in Khaydarin crystals was abandoned due to the Zerg invasion. Millions of tons were left behind when they fled but luckily, there was some on Shakuras but the quantity paled in comparison to Auir.

Before Artanis could continue onwards, he heard a bleeping noise. He scoured around trying to find the source and soon realized that it came from his transmission device. It was similar to a flip phone used by Terrans but it was larger in size and was thousands of years more advanced. He opened it and pressed the flashing button on the side. A holographic head of Bakshan appeared on the lower half of the device.

"En Taro Adun Artanis," Bakshan greeted.

"En Taro Tassadar Bakshan. How are you?" he replied.

"I apologize, but this is no time to converse over trivial things. Turn on your television and switch it to the global server," Bakshan quickly ordered.

"But why?" Artanis asked.

"You'll see why, just do it," she ordered again.

He got off of his chair, walked over to his television in the living room and turned it on. It brought him a list of servers and he scrolled down to the one that was called Auiras which mean planetary. He pressed it and it brought him a broadcast of Zarvyn from the Khalai Alliance.

"What is this…?" Artanis asked Bakshan.

"Just watch it," she replied.

Artanis turned the volume up and sat down onto a chair watching the screen.

"Thanks to the valiant efforts of our forces, we have captured the Rocky Garden mineral mines, one of the largest mineral fields on Shakuras. With these fields under our control, we will be able to mass produce our newest warship known as Tempest in the dozens! Here is a live clip of the Tempest's power awesome power!" Zarvyn exclaimed.

The broadcast showed a video of a large warship that sped its way towards a Nerazim military fortress. It looked eerily similar to the Carrier with its oval shape but it was too dark to see most of its features. When it got to a mile distance from the fort, hundreds of small flashes of lights began to leave the front of the ship. The video zoomed in closer and the small flashes of light were revealed to be shuriken shaped droids that spun around at a rapid speed. They quickly descended closer to the fortress and lights began to shoot out from all over the base. Artanis saw lasers and flashing projectiles fly from the fort. They all aimed directly at the hundreds of droids who were flying head long into them. At the last second, they all dispersed in every direction and avoided every single anti air attack. They closed in on the fort and began shooting out laser beams at a very fast rate while flying low and using their razor sharp edges to slash through and slice all in their path.

Within moments, explosions were visible and heard from the military base as the droids continued to rain down death from above. Artanis's eyes watched in horror as fire enveloped one section of the base to another until the entire fort was ablaze. The droids began returning to the warship when their job was done. When the last flash of light disappeared into the ship, a very loud explosion was heard from the base. The screen turned towards the mushroom shaped cloud of blue fiery smoke.

The screen switched back to Zarvyn who looked delighted by the Tempest's performance.

"As you have seen, the destructive power that the Tempest has is immense. Being able to strike from outside the defender's range, it rains death and havoc onto its enemies. Within merely minutes, the Nerazim military base was reduced to smoldering ashes. This is one of the finest warships created since the Gantrithor! And thanks to our spies and continuous air raids, we have been able to render their airship production facilities useless. They will have no defense against the onslaught of the Tempest. With it in the sky, the Tempest will bring us a sweet and decisive victory! We will be able to purify this forsaken planet of the Nerazim taint forever! However, now that victory is at our doorstep, we must deal with another threat that endangers our society and way of life! We must turn out attention to the Daelaam Alliance! At the beginning of this war, they stated that they would stay out of this conflict and that they would never support either side but we have found evidence that they have been sending extra resources to the Home Guard Protectorate over the course of this war! Not only are a majority of them of Khalai ethnicity, but they refused to fight alongside their own brothers and turned away our begging hand! They pleaded to keep themselves out of the war to maintain stability but all this time, they have been aiding and giving resources to those who have taken hundreds of our lives! I considered Wargan'us a trusted ally and a Templar of true honor. He had my utmost respect and I looked to him as an equal. We gave them aid whenever they asked. We never failed to safeguard their neutrality and this is how we were repaid. Those who have given sanction to the Nerazim have become tainted and corrupted by them. Portraying us as the true evil and spreading their ways of life to their own people! They too must be purified as well. They pose a threat of another strife breaking out between our people! If they integrate with us, we too will become like them! Their betrayal and their tainted hands have become a sin against us. To save ourselves, and to save them as well, we must purify them and free them from the corruption of the Nerazim! Do not look at it as genocide. Look at it as a way to liberate their spirits in order for them to still embrace the Khala after death. It is the least that we can do. Only when the Nerazim and the tainted are purified, will we be able to lay down our weapons and live in peace and prosperity! I thank you all for listening to what I had to say. I hope that we will be able to bring this bloody conflict to a swift end," Zarvyn said loud and proud.

The broadcast turned to static as it disconnected. Artanis sat in his chair holding his head. His breathing became faster and Bakshan could hear it through her device.

"Artanis, are you alright?" Bakshan asked through the transmission device.

"I don't know Bakshan…I'm sorry but I must go. There is something I must do," Artanis said.

Before Bakshan could respond, he shut off the transmission and closed the device and sat there holding his head.

"This can't be happening…" he muttered to himself.

He could hear other Templars running in the hallway while shouting out things that he didn't pay attention to. Time seemed to slow down. It felt unbearable.

"This is much worse than the last time..." he said to himself again.

He closed his eyes and began remembering what had happened a year ago when the war was declared. He remembered the chaos in the streets. People ran, they protested, cries were heard from almost every corner. Thousands struggled to pack their things and to evacuate out of the city. Their morale was low and their hearts were filled with fear and despair. It was only resolved when Bakshan, who was not a Dark Knight during the time spoke out to her people. She spoke of her dreams, she spoke of what she thought, and she spoke of the will to believe and to overcome any obstacle. She spoke of the future where hands should be held together, not at the throat of another. Amazingly, her speech was able calm her people down, including him. It had such an effect that it was able to give everyone in the city a new hope and a new future to look for and strive to. Instead of leaving, everyone stayed and the Daelaam was quickly formed afterwards.

However, this isn't the same scenario. War wasn't just declared. Extermination of everyone outside the Khalai Alliance was just announced. There was no chance of getting out if it unlike before. There would be no negotiation or any talks of peace. Blood was certain.

What was even worse was that the Tempest was at Zarvyn's disposal. Such a destructive warship was almost unheard of and they were being massed produced. Millions of Protoss would die within mere days. It would be a total massacre.

His transmission device started bleeping again. He grabbed it and hurled it against the wall out of frustration. He held his head again and felt like rolling over and dying. He thought back to everything that Zarvyn said and grew angry. Not at Zarvyn, not at the Dark Templar, but at whoever authorized the transportation of supplies to the Home Guard Protectorate. It was their fault that they were now in this position. They were now going to be accountable for the deaths of millions of innocent people. He wanted to smash something but everything in his room was made of metal and would hurt him if he struck anything. He grew more frustrated at that fact.

He got up and began pacing around his apartment, going from his front door to his storage room to his bedroom back to his front door. He thought about what to do but his mind was too focused on what was just publicly announced for him to think clearly. He decided to stop walking around in loops and went outside.

He walked at a fast pace to wherever his thoughts brought him. He ignored everyone Templar who ran past him and others who tried getting his attention. He wondered if everyone else were taking the news as hard as him.

Walking was all he could do to prevent himself from going insane. He soon got to an exit that brought him outside. He walked a bit to his right and led him behind the hospital. He stood on what looked like a dark open field and stood idly. He stared at one dark thing to the other trying to think of something to do. He looked up and barely saw the clouds looming over the city. He had an idea of where the moon would be but couldn't see past the clouds. He squinted his eyes but still saw nothing. It suddenly got hard to tell the difference between the night and the cloudy dark day.

In a situation like this, someone had to say something. It felt like Wargan'us and the other political figures in the tribe were taking way too long to respond. Deep down, he wanted to do what Bakshan did, to speak his mind and be able to make people listen to what he said. However, he had no idea of how he would do it or what he would even say.

"Cheeeeeeeeeecwaaaaaaaawaaaaaa!" Artanis heard suddenly.

The chirp caught him off guard. He stumbled to the side and almost tripped. He looked behind him to see a Checwawa standing there while licking its feathers. The cyan creature noticed him and stared at him with pleading eyes. He wasn't sure what it wanted but tried to ignore the large annoying thing. He turned away and it chirped again. It made him turn around and it looked at him again with the same look in its eyes. Once more, Artanis turned away only to hear a louder chirp which angered him.

"Silence you ungracious animal!" Artanis yelled out loud to the gawking creature that held its leg up while peeing.

Artanis caught himself yelling at an animal for almost no reason. He scratched the soft spot between his eyes and wondered what he was even doing. What use would yelling at an animal do? He began walking away and left the random Checwawa standing their gawking at him. He walked north through the field of ebony rock.

There were a lot of shark rocks but luckily, his feet had calluses that were thick and hard enough to not harm him He didn't really know where he was going but he wanted to just get away from it all. He wanted to just be alone for a bit. To think to himself and comprehend what was going on outside of the city. He kept his head faced down towards the rocky ground beneath him and looked at things that looked remotely interesting enough to fill his mind. After a few minutes of walking, he heard some gushing and felt a cold wind run through him. They both made him freeze in place. He looked up to see where the sound was coming from and saw large river like lake that was a kilometer away from him.

Artanis hadn't noticed that the river was so close to where he lived. It was a large body of water that ran through the city and cutting in into two portions. One larger side were all of the workers lived and the smaller side where the warriors were. Both parts were split apart from the twenty kilometer wide river.

He felt a fuzzy feeling in the back of his memories at the sight of the river. It caused him to instinctively run towards the noise. He watched out for any sizable jagged edges of rock that might stick out and avoided the ones he saw. The wind felt stronger than before. It blew the opposite direction from where he was running as if it was trying to stop him. He fought against it and pushed himself through them. While the wind was cold, it also felt rejuvenating. He didn't know why but it just did. It felt like one of those moments when you are scorching hot and you suddenly enter a room that is ice cold.

After around seven minutes, he reached the river bank. There was a slope that went from the field down to a beachhead. Artanis walked down it and looked out to the river. The wind blew against him and it started to make him feel cold. Yet, the chilling winds didn't stop him from feeling a sense of nostalgia. In fact, the winds only helped entice it.

The way each one of them moved. How the wind, like a natural force helped push them towards their destinies. The fact that they strove to become bigger and stronger than the ones before them was truly inspiring. Unfortunately, the small ones that always led the larger ones to glory barely got any for themselves. However, every single one of them, no matter how big also had to face reality just like he did. They would all come to an abrupt end eventually, just like how time was every living organism's reality, the beachhead was theirs. The fact was that the things he watched were just like humans and Protoss. He tried to ignore the comparison that he made. Their beauty was too beautiful to be compared.

To him, they were majestic. The sounds that they created, the forms that they took, and how they flowed in water. Artanis loved watching the tidal waves. They looked so soothing and peaceful. It helped remind him of when he was an infant. Playing with his family and watching the tidal waves with them in the evening. It somehow had the ability to help relax his thoughts. It helped prove to him that there was still beauty in the universe despite the monstrous Zerg Swarms.

It had been so long since he had last taken the time to go down to a body of water and watched the waves, too long in his opinion. He closed his eyes and lifted up his arms wide.

"I know you exist…I know you watch us from the stars…You look down upon us just like I do with the waves…Yet, we are your creations. You are like our fathers…How do you simply watch without doing a thing? Millions of us will die…Yet you still watch…Will you not bless me with an answer? Will you strike me down due to my lack of faith? Just tell me. What should I do?" Artanis asked slowly and patiently.

He felt a drop of water land on his head. His eyes opened and looked out to the river that split the city into two. He saw the ripples in the water as the rain started to fall from the purplish sky. Instead of taking shelter, he continued to stand on the beach. Rain was rare on Shakuras. It didn't happen as often as it did on Auir. It was also colder, much colder. To a human, it would feel like their blood would freeze on impact of each drop. Despite this, Artanis stayed. He did not move, he did not whimper. He focused on the waves. Smashing back and forth against the sand and collapsing over each other.

Seconds passed by, then minutes and before Artanis even noticed, time flew by until an hour had passed. He thought about many problems during the short period. Most of them, he didn't find any sort of solution to. All he did was skim through history and thought of things that had caused this. If Zeratul didn't suddenly disappear, maybe his race wouldn't be having this civil war. If the Queen of Blades was never trusted, then tens of thousands would still be alive. He wondered where his people and he would be without Bakshan. It almost terrified him. Not having her as his closest friend felt both painful and inconceivable. The rain started to come down faster and harder. It completely cut off his vision to the other side of the river.

"Artanis, is that you?"

The voice smacked Artanis out of his thoughts. He turned around, his feet pushing against the sand as he moved. He was surprised at who he saw. She wore almost the exact same clothing that she wore when they both met, only it was a different colour. She was at least three feet away and was breathing quite heavily through her skin. He could hear it despite of the rain.

"Hexvanna? What are you doing out here?" Artanis asked.

She held her hands together near her chest, turned her head towards her left and stared at the waves.

"Well, I-I just came here t-to help settle my mind," she said hesitantly.

"I see…So you have seen it too?" Artanis said referring to Zarvyn's broadcast.

Hexvanna nodded her head.

"What do we do? What can one do against their power?" Hexvanna asked solemnly.

"It depends if there is something that we can do. The power of their new warship is almost unmeasurable. It would unleash destruction to everything it comes across. It doesn't seem like something we could actually win against without suffering heavy causalities to our side," Artanis responded.

"B-But, there has to be some sort of way to save ourselves. Do you think they would pursue us if we left Shakuras?" she replied sounding desperate.

"Most likely, Zarvyn said it himself. Unless we are all dead, then peace could never be obtained and it sounded as if he meant it…"

"Then what do we do? Sit back and wait for the inevitable? Is that what we do?" she asked loudly and desperately.

"Maybe…I'm not sure myself. The fact is, after watching that live video of the Tempest, I think that surrendering now would be-" Artanis said before coming to an abrupt stop.

Hexvanna turned to face him. His eyes made contact with hers and it made him stop talking. Her eyes were full of fear and devoid of hope. It reminded him of the eyes of a child, someone who had never witnessed war or experienced the pain that it brought to everyone.

That's when it hit him. She didn't come out in the chilling rain to just settle her thoughts in the matter. She was looking for him. When she saw the broadcast, she went running around to find him and it brought her here. It was why she was breathing heavier when he saw her. She wanted someone to tell her that everything would be okay, to say that everything wasn't lost yet and that things could still change. She came to him seeking a light in the middle of her darkness but got less than she had hoped. His negativity and own self insecurity was making her feel worse. When he looked closely, he saw that she was trembling and he didn't think it was just the shivers from the cold. This wasn't how he was supposed to act. The experienced and older warrior shouldn't belittle their chances to a rookie. It was part of his duty as a High Templar to see through that they are always confident in what they fight for and that their hope never wavers.

"I think that surrendering now would be our own downfall. True, like I said, the Tempest is a fearsome weapon but it still has its own weaknesses," Artanis said.

Hexvanna looked at him with a dumbfounded look.

"We may not see those weaknesses now, but it is still there. Don't forget that the Akilae Tribe is just as advanced as the Furinax Tribe. We have a powerful army like they do and we have things that they don't. We still have eight other tribes backing us up. We are also in close proximities while the Khalai Alliance is spread out across the plains of Shakuras. Besides, the Nerazim won't sit back either. All we got to do is keep our hope. We got to make sure that we are not intimidated by them, that is what they want," Artanis said.

He saw the fear in her eyes slowly fade away. He could tell that his words were getting through to her and felt good for it.

"I know how you feel. I was just like you at the beginning of this war. I was fearful and doubtful of the future but my friend Bakshan helped reassure me. She told me what I would be really fighting for and that it was for our future. Not just for mine, but for our entire race. We wanted a future where both sides could live in harmony and where holding hands would not bring strife or conflict. We cannot falter in the face of adversity. We must fight for what we want," Artanis said feeling confident.

"How would we win though?"

"That is not something I know. We can only wait and see how things progress. In my opinion, we will only lose if we give up on what we fight for and succumb to the evil that faces us in the eye," Artanis replied.

Artanis turned around facing the river. Hexvanna took a step closer.

"Until then, we can only give it our all. We must try our best and do what we can," Artanis followed up.

Hexvanna was in awe. She was astonished at Artanis's will and determination. From what he started off with, she felt that he was being a fool and unreliable. It felt like a completely different Artanis from two days before. She felt more relaxed and calm. Her mind was no longer all over the place while thinking about every horrible scenario. Her breathing was calm as a sleeping child.

"Thank you Artanis, that really helped me, in ways that you can't imagine," Hexvanna said.

"It was my pleasure," Artanis replied full of contempt.

Artanis noticed the change in her previous voice. It felt at ease and more like the one he heard when they first met.

A large flash of light appeared in the sky. It shot across the sky, was very noticeable and lit up the entire sky. It supplied more light than the distant sun did but only for a moment. It was followed by a loud boom of thunder. It roared across the city making pebbles tremble in its power. It sounded like the explosion of five warships bursting into fireballs of death and exploding into millions of tiny pieces. The wind grew stronger and the rain fell harder. The change made Artanis shiver. He looked back and saw Hexvanna rubbing her shoulders trying to keep herself warm enough to stay by Artanis's side.

"It is getting a bit dangerous out here. Let's head back before we freeze," Artanis suggested.

Hexvanna happily agreed while still holding herself. Artanis walked up to her and put his arm over the shoulder in hopes that it would help. It didn't; in fact, his arm was even colder than her. His arm felt freezing due to being out for more than an hour but she didn't move away from him. She kept herself next to Artanis. They started walking back to their homes and left the ever growing waves to fight among themselves in the cold rain.


	5. Chapter 4: TSSD

**Chapter Four: T.S.S.D.**

Artanis's eyes slowly opened. The minimum light made it easier for him to open. He slowly sat up to avoid any of the pain in his gut. When he sat up, he noticed that his wound didn't hurt as much as it did yesterday. He felt at ease knowing that it was healing faster than he anticipated.

He began recalling what had happened yesterday with Hexvanna after they had their pep talk. It felt hazy but he gradually put the pieces together. The both of them gave each other their apartment numbers and then continued to talk about trivial things. When it got late, they parted ways and returned to their homes.

Artanis got out of bed and walked over to the cabinet installed into the wall. He opened it and pulled out two capsules. One, being the pills given to him by the medical specialist while the other being nutrients. He took three pills from the nutrient capsule and only one from the other. As usual, he brought the tip of his dreadlock to his hand with the pills, poured them into the mouth of it and let the dreadlock drop back down.

He walked out of his room and down the hall towards his living room. He heard voices coming from the room and hurried towards it to see who or what it was. As he entered, he saw something that not only shocked him but also was something that he couldn't believe.

"By the gods! How could I leave my television on for the entire night?" he asked himself while running over to turn it off.

He felt wasteful at how much energy was consumed. Even if it was just a tiny bit, he preferred to conserve. When he stepped in front of the screen, the advertisement to recruit warriors finished and it switched to a news update.

"Thousands of people have lashed out in response to Zarvyn's broadcast from yesterday afternoon. They have armed themselves with weapons and have set up their own base of operations in the city square, and at each of the Teleportation Centers. Numerous innocent Templars have been placed in recuperation centers trying to defend themselves against the growing protesters. They impatiently wait for Wargan'us's response. At the same time, hundreds of warriors from the southern district have been called out to help settle the matters," a Templar said.

The broadcast zoomed in onto a scene being filmed in the corner of the screen. Artanis saw Bakshan in the crowd of warriors and almost panicked. She was clad in her armor and ordering warriors around like a true Dark Knight.

Artanis immediately picked up his transmission device that was still on the floor from yesterday. He opened it, turned it on and then imputed a code that began connecting to Bakshan's device. He waited patiently for her to answer while looking at the television screen. He held the device to his face and stared at the television screen and the bleeping buttons on his device.

"Artanis, why are you calling me?" Bakshan asked.

Her head appeared above the dial pad.

"I just saw the news update about the riots. How bad is it over on the North end?" Artanis asked.

"It is rather hectic over here. There are battered windows and crushed pieces of garbage all over the streets. We just sent fifteen Templars to the recuperation center. I'm leading a team to deal with the riot at the city square right now," she replied.

"Should I head there now to assist you? I'm certain that I would be able to help. The more warriors at your command, the faster the task will be," Artanis said while already heading towards his storage room.

"No, do not come, Artanis," she replied.

Artanis stopped. He held the transmission device closer to his face.

"What? Why not?" he asked.

"Because you will only get yourself hurt again. We need close quarter specialists to deal with the rioters, not a ranged warrior like you. Don't take this the wrong way but if you come, you will only get in the way. You are still injured and I don't want you to strain your wound. My team and I can deal with these fools on our own. I must go now Artanis, we are almost there. Good bye," Bakshan said and ending the transmission abruptly.

"Oh…good bye…"

Artanis stood there quietly. He stared at his device and felt rejected and neglected. He dropped the transmission device onto the ground and sat down with his back against the wall. Her words struck him like a wrecking ball. He stared at the ground thinking. He knew that she didn't mean to offend him but it still hurt. Was he really that weak that he would be a burden? He thought about it for a bit and thought up a scenario.

He threw balls of psionic power towards the rioters to help subdue them. After knocking one of them down, he felt himself get struck on his back. He fell to the ground and keeled over causing the pain in his gut to rise again. He felt his body get bashed with different metallic objects and quickly bruised and beaten him. He cried out for help only for his voice to be drowned out in all of the shouting and yelling that was going on around him.

He shivered at the very possible idea. It felt so real that his gut was hurting him.

"I guess she is right, maybe going would not be to my benefit. Ugh! I wouldn't be like this if I was just stronger!" Artanis screamed to himself.

He got back onto his feet and punched the wall.

"Ow!" he let out. "What a morning this turned out to be…"

Despite understanding why he shouldn't go, he still felt annoyed and irritated at the fact that he couldn't do anything of use. Why become a warrior if you don't fight? Where was the logic in that? He wanted to release his frustration onto something but he didn't want to hurt himself by punching walls or other Templars. He remembered the robotic sentries that where in the sparring room. They either shot projectiles at you or were dummies that took hit after hit. Artanis decided to shove his pent up frustration onto them.

He left his apartment and made his way down the hall. After a few minutes, he reached the room and saw that no one was in side. He actually felt a bit relieved because he didn't want to be in the presence of someone else while being in his state. It just made him feel awkward. Either way, he made his way towards the nearest corner on his left and spotted what he came for. There were eight machines lines up against the wall, each being the same machine. They had four arms, two on each side with metallic rods sticking out on the back and front. They walked on four short robotic legs and were quite fast. There were two cannons on the shoulders and its head was a normal cube shape.

These machines were built to be able to break up easily when applied a certain amount of pressure. After a few minutes, they would construct themselves back to normal. He walked up to them and they automatically turned on at his presence.

"High Templar Artanis of the Eighth Battalion, please state your request," one of them said weirdly.

"Issuing command protocol. Target Practice," Artanis responded a bit more aggressively than usual.

The green lights on their heads turned red and wobbled towards Artanis on their weirdly formed legs while moving from one side to the other. Artanis jumped back to gain some distance. He started channeling energy into the palm of his hands and shooting them out towards the machines. One of them landed a direct hit on one of the machines and it fell over only to get back up. Artanis stared oddly at it and continued shooting. Each time he landed a direct hit, no matter where it hit, they always got back up and moved about.

Artanis didn't like it. Why was he having so much trouble breaking them a part? The power he was using should have been sufficient. Instead of releasing his frustration, it only caused it to grow.

"Ugh! Stay down you blasted machines!" Artanis yelled out to them only to be ignored.

Artanis started to throw out more attacks of lesser quality. They became less opaque and were clearer compared to his bluer attacks from before. They were also less bright and now paler. His attacks were no longer causing them to fall over. All it did was push them back and almost make them topple over. It was like shooting balloons instead of baseballs. His anger was making him lose focus and it made him yell.

"Argghh! Do not test my patience!" he said to the inanimate robots.

He started shooting faster and faster and soon with the quality halving each time, he barely gave himself the time to gather up any power in his hands to shoot. All he did was throw his arms out air and increasing his rage and frustration.

"How can I be a High Templar if my powers are so weak? This is pathetic! What sort of world is this! Just fall over already!" Artanis lashed out.

He brought his hands together and started to channel his psionic energy. Unlike before, he was taking his time and putting as much as he could into the ball, his rage, his frustration, his self-pity, his power, all of it. It poured into the sphere and he condensed it more and more until it was like a beach ball. Instead of it being a bright blue, it turned a shade of red. Unlike usual, the ball seemed unstable. It looked like it was about to burst at any second. Artanis stared closely at which one to strike. He took aim and hurled it at the one in the middle of all of the machines and watched it explode on contact. The explosion expanded towards the other seven and they were all consumed by the light that it created.

A small fog of smoke appeared around where the machines were. Artanis couldn't see through it and wiped away the smoke that got near him. He breathed heavily while resting his arms on his thighs while leaned over. The smoke quickly cleared and Artanis took a look over to where the machines had stood. His eyes grew wide and almost fell out of his sockets at what he saw.

Each one of the individual sentries stood perfectly unharmed. There were no cracks, no malfunctioning circuits, no dents and not even a single scratch. They all stood still like nothing had happened. Artanis stood staring with a look of despair in his eyes. He couldn't even destroy low class training sentries.

"Artanis! Why would you put that much power into that attack? Didn't you realise that it would be enough to turn them into smoldering ashes?"

Artanis almost jumped at the sound of her voice. It almost gave him a heart attack. He turned around and saw Hexvanna standing behind him while staring at him with a cheerful look. Once again, she wore the same outfit only with a different colour.

"Oh, En Taro Tassadar, Hexvanna. What brings you here?" Artanis said in a happy tone.

He hoped to the gods that his voice sounded convincing enough to hide his frustration. He would hate to show his immature and bad side of him to his newly acquired friend. He forced himself to get rid of the hated look that he had on his face thanks to the sentries and applied a more decent expression.

"I was walking by and I saw you in here. I was quite surprised to see that you would use that much power just to attack sentries. I was forced to shield them with my own powers just to protect them. Luckily it worked," Hexvanna replied.

Artanis's inner self almost made him drop. No wonder why his attack had no effect. It was blocked by Hexvanna's powers. It actually helped ease his anger. At least he knew that he wasn't weaker than he had concluded earlier. Surprisingly, he felt a weight get lifted off of his shoulders. However, he was still unhappy with his morning.

"Artanis, I'm just curious. As a gift from a neighbour, I was given a Tactical Simulator Strategy Device. I've read the instructions and played it with the different difficulties that it has but it has stopped being of actual fun. Would you like to participate with me in playing the game? It would be more enjoyable and meaningful if I had an actual mind that would be a challenge. If that is alright with you that is," Bakshan said.

"Sure, that sounds quite interesting. I don't think I have anything left to do here anyways," Artanis replied while turning around and giving the sentries a death stare.

"Great! I really appreciate this," Hexvanna said.

"Do not worry about it, it is my pleasure," Artanis replied.

The both of them began making their way to the doors. The sentries noticed the lack of presence from their user and wobbled their way back to the corner and deactivated themselves.

"So Hexvanna, explain this T.S.S.D.," Artanis said.

"It is quite simple. We both have twenty different units. Each unit has their own specific ability and are capable of countering other units. They are all placed on a holographic terrain where traps and geological landscapes play their own roles. We are able to set up the units anywhere on our sides. We cannot see our opponents through the fog of war but our side is completely visible to us. At least ten of the pieces are the same and serve mainly as average troops while the other ten are the ones who have their own ability. Each player has a turn. Each turn can consist of four or less moves. Once your moves have been made, it will automatically switch to your opponent's. Traps can be set up and can affect the terrain. It seems difficult at first but it gets easier," Hexvanna said.

"I see, so what do the last ten units do?" he asked.

"The first one is called Amak. This unit is capable of creating traps in certain areas along your side. These traps can be ditches, underground defense mechanisms or barriers that can trap units if caught. It has a cool down of eight turns. The second one is call Shemal. This one is an assassin type. It is long ranged but its attack is slower that the others. If a unit stays within its range for more than one turn, it can be killed. The third one is called Aruni. This piece is capable of sprinting over a given area at a very fast rate. If an enemy unit is within his range when he stops, then it freezes that unit. If no other piece stops Aruni, then it will kill it in your next turn. The freeze lasts up to three turns. The forth one is called Malz. This one plays a role of a tank. Once it enters the enemy's side, it becomes covered in armour and is unable to be attacked for three turns. It also is capable of attacking anything within its range but requires two turns to kill it. These four pieces have doubles. In other words, there is two of each that takes up eight spots. The fifth piece is called Dae'Uhl the Matriarch or you can call it the queen. This one is capable of leaping into the sky and by doing so; it is able to reveal a part of your enemy's side depending on where it is. This only lasts a single turn. If anything is hiding within its range, it becomes revealed and Dae'Uhl is capable of moving right behind it. It freezes it just like Aruni and kills it within two turns if it is not stopped. The last piece is Adun. It is basically your king piece and it is very important due to its unique passive ability. It doesn't have a special power but it has a buffing aura. When near the Kwah-kai which are ten pieces that I said before, it gives them a bonus that allows them to transform into the eight units that I just explained except for Adun and Dae'Uhl. Changing one costs one move and once it leaves Adun's aura's range; they revert back into Kwah-Kai. Also, each unit can move a certain distance. It varies from one to another," explained Hexvanna.

"I see. That is truly amusing. If you do not mind me asking, what does the Kwah-Kai do exactly?"

"They act like shields. They attack anything directly across from them within a very short range. It takes one move for them to kill other pieces," Hexvanna explained.

"Interesting," Artanis said.

"You win when your opponent's Adun and Dae'Uhl are taken out. Adun can only be killed by the ten special pieces," she said.

Artanis nodded his head as he began to think about each piece. He felt quite surprised; the game itself seemed quite intellectual and highly complicated. He felt worried if he was even up for the task. Sure, he has had good experience in actual war situations but those skills have diminished over the past few years.

As Hexvanna talked about numerous different matches that she had played, Artanis paid close attention to each of them. He was quite impressed with the decisions that she had made. She only moved here a few days ago and already she had begun mastering the complex game. After listening for quite a while and passing multiple long blocks, they got to her apartment. She entered in a security code, the door opened and they both entered. Artanis was shocked at how nice the place looked. It was filled with many things such as a lot of hovering shelves, furniture, screens of different sizes and etc. There was a large table in the middle of the living room with nothing on it.

"Take a seat over here," Hexvanna said while gesturing Artanis to sit where she was standing.

He complied and sat on a stool next to her. She disappeared down her hallway and after a minute or so, she returned with two things in her hands. It looked like a very thin crown that was very similar to his helm that he wore for Dylari. The only different was that it was made of a different material, there was no crystal in the middle, it was a different colour and that there were two transparent lenses that covered the eyes.

"Here you go. I already turned them on. Just put then on your head and make sure that the lenses are over your eyes," Hexvanna explained.

"What are these things?"

"They are for the game. The sides of these head pieces project a holographic image onto this table. When we both do it at the same time, the hologram gains a solid form that creates the battlefield and our units. Once the two rays of green light are focused on this circle right here, hold your head there for a minute to allow it to load. The hologram will focus itself and align it with mine and create it so we won't have to hold our heads still the entire time. Also, this piece connects to your brain. All you have to do is think, choose and it will do as you command," she explained further.

"Fascinating, I'm surprised that I haven't heard of this before," Artanis commented.

Artanis took one of the head pieces from Hexvanna's hand. He put it on his head and adjusted it to meet his standards. Hexvanna sat down across from him and did the same.

"On the count of three, we focus our eyes onto the red dot on the table. Make sure you hold your position for a minute," she said.

"Understood,"

"One…Two…Three, now!" she blurted out.

Artanis stared at the red dot in the middle of the golden painted table. He kept his head still and focused. He felt tempted to look over to Hexvanna to see if she was doing it too but then it would mess up the alignment. He had to keep his eyes on the red dot. After fifteen seconds, he saw a loading symbol appear on his glasses. It jumped from one percent to thirty percent. It gradually increased as the minute closed in.

As soon as the minute finished, the symbol lit up and all of Artanis's vision turned green.

"Okay we are done, you can stop now," Hexvanna said.

Artanis immediately looked up. Multiple different options popped up on his lens

"I'm going to skim through the settings a bit. It won't take long," she said.

Artanis saw things appear on his lens for the different settings that their match would have. After Hexvanna finished choosing the ideal settings, Artanis saw a holographic model of a landscape appear on the table. It had mountain sides with large trees and a lot of edges that stuck out randomly.

"It looks intriguing doesn't it?" Hexvanna asked.

"Yes, it truly is. I feel like I'm in an actual briefing room. This truly does look realistic," he replied impressed.

Hexvanna skimmed through the different maps to use. Artanis watched quietly as they switched back and forth. There was one with a small river that divided the two separate sides, one that completely flat and looked like a desert, and another that was like a forest with hills and uneven terrain.

"Artanis, would you like to pick? I've played on every one of them already so it would be fairer if you chose," Hexvanna suggested.

He nodded and looked at the current map.

"Not this one, I do not like the landscape on it,"

She switched it to two mountain sides that were very close to each other that had three large bridges that connected one side to the other. There were many trees all over both sides. One of the sides looked like there would be a rocky avalanche at any moment.

"This one might not suit me. Next, if you do not mind," Artanis said.

It switched again to a large chasm. There was a large tear in the ground that spread twenty meters across. There were two large caves on both sides. Each cave had an underground passage way that went thirty feet underground. It brought people to the edge of the chasm where a rocky bridge was located.

"This one is really complex…" Artanis stated.

Hexvanna nodded in agreement and switched to another landscape. This one was like a large city. There were buildings all over the place and they were set up in sections. From an overview, the whole map was like a large grid. Each building and street took up multiple squares. There was a brief description on the side that mentioned that the city would flood every fifteen turns.

"Let's take this one. It seems simple and dangerous at the same time," Artanis said.

Hexvanna selected the map and it popped up the units to put onto the field. A large green wall divided the city in half. It was to prevent people from seeing their opponent's layout. Artanis got the south and west while Hexvanna got the north and east.

"How do you place them exactly?"

"You pick the one you want and use your mind to place them where you want them to," she replied while staring at her side closely.

Artanis scrolled from one unit to the other while staring at map of the city. He noticed that his side was geologically higher than Hexvanna's. He thought back to when she explained that Adun and Dae'Uhl were two important pieces that must be kept alive. He scrolled to Adun and placed him in the rear of the city, on the roof of a skyscraper. He looked around to the other locations that he had and scanned each portion carefully. If he wanted to set up traps, they would have to be placed at locations where they would be the most effective. He scrolled to Amak and it popped up a brief overview of him. He read it and noticed a trap that Hexvanna did not tell him.

_"Amak is capable of planting bombs at any location. If an opponent's unit steps onto it, it will explode. It may also be activated if an enemy is within range upon command. The activation will cost one turn," _Artanis read.

It seemed very interesting and useful. Each Amak could place two traps onto the field during set up and then one after every eight turns. Artanis thought about it and scrolled over to his Kwah-Kai. He began placing them in a straight line across the map. He had two leftover and had them positioned behind two other ones on his flanks. He moved on with Aruni. He placed the both of them on his flanks as well to help support his Kwah-Kai. He placed both of his Malz in the middle right behind the Kwah-Kais. The list brought up Shemal and he wondered where to put them. They were longed ranged assassins that were unable to attack an enemy close to them. He decided to keep them on defense and place them on the roofs that were on the flanks of Adun. They were to serve as bodyguards. It brought up Dae'Uhl and he decided to place her in the middle of his field on the highest building for her range to be at her peak. Now the last two were Amak. He selected onto the different traps that they could use and immediately went for the explosive traps. He picked them and placed one in front of Adun, one on each flank in front of his main line of defense and in front of Dae'Uhl. Both Amaks were put in front of Adun and behind Dae'Uhl. He noticed that the blast radius pf each trap was pretty large but ignored it.

After scanning over his battle formation, he quickly approved of it. He looked over to Hexvanna but the decently large wall prevented him from doing so. After a few seconds, he was asked if he was finished setting up by an artificial intelligence in which he responded with a yes. It told him to wait for his opponent to finish setting up their pieces before it could start. It caught Artanis by surprised to know that he was the one waiting instead of Hexvanna.

_"She is not done yet? Wouldn't she have been done preparing already if she was already experienced at the game?"_ he asked himself.

After a few minutes, Hexvanna finished setting up her pieces. She looked confident in her set up but Artanis was too. He knew well that he had to keep Adun and Dae'Uhl alive no matter what. Artanis wondered about what sort of tactic that Hexvanna would use. She didn't seem to be the pure offensive type. She didn't seem to be a defensive type either. She seemed to be more of a stealthy and infiltrative user. He didn't have much time to think though. The wall that divided their sides rose into the air and then faded away. Their game had commenced.

Unfortunately for Artanis, the match ended in an utter disaster. He was able to gain first blood on one of Hexvanna's Kwah-Kai but she stormed onto his side with vast amounts of Malz which were mostly Kwah-Kais that were transformed by her Adun. With being unable to attack them, his pieces were overwhelmed and cut down. He tried activating his explosive traps but it only ended up backfiring. It was able to take our two of her Malz units but the explosion at the base of a building had caused it to fall backwards towards his own forces. He barely reached the fifteenth turn where he lost both of his Amak pieces to the flood due to being focused on retreating whatever he had left towards the back. He tried to imitate Hexvanna's strategy of using Adun to transform his units but he lacked positioning and time for them to be the most effective. After eighteen turns, his entire force was dead and gone.

"This was much more difficult than I had anticipated. It is like actually commanding a group of warriors in a real mission," Artanis said while rubbing his forehead.

"Well, you did do well at the beginning. I didn't expect you to get first blood. It's quite interesting though. It seems that you are now the rookie while I'm the more experienced," Hxvanna said with a laugh.

Despite feeling a bit unhappy with his complete loss, he cracked open a chuckle in order to not make her feel bad about going all out on him. However, he was willing to admit, this program was good for coming up with strategies and tactics. It reminded him of how he used to be during his time as an Executor. It seemed that his attributes as a tactician had drastically declined since then.

"It is only mid-afternoon. Would you like to play again or do you have somewhere that you should be?" Hexvanna asked with high hope.

Using the program with someone else was much more amusing and challenging than using the low leveled artificial intelligence. They always stuck to the same format and layout. The only change in their set up was on maps where there are obstacles in which blocks them from placing their normal lay out properly.

"I would much enjoy that. This is quite fun. I'll make sure that I will win this time though," Artanis said confidently.

They both laughed at the statement. Hexvanna restarted the process of creating a new match and she gave Artanis the choice of the map to use again. This time, Artanis picked a location called Az'Acktorud. It was a volcano that had a river of lava streaming down the side which was the divider of their sides. The battle was timed. If neither one could win within two and a half hours, then the volcano would erupt and rain death onto all of their pieces and it would be a draw. There were a lot of large boulders and jagged edges that could be used for hiding and defending.

Artanis decided to set up his pieces almost identical to that of a chessboard. He had them all placed near the middle of his side to prevent Hexvanna from using a bunch of Malz units to overwhelm his forces. He made sure that most of his Kwah-Kais were in the presence of Adun in order to give them the buff. Instead of explosive traps, he had ditches and barriers set up. Two ditches were placed on his flanks a bit away from his force so they won't get caught in it. He also had to barriers placed in front of his army that would activate on his command. Due to the terrain, there was a large wall of thick rock behind his entire force. This time, he felt confident that his battle position would succeed. His flanks were guarded. His forces backed each other up and he was more aware of his surroundings.

However, that did not protect his units from the onslaught. His tactic had a good defense against melee units but when it came against ranged units, specifically Shemals, his forces stood no chance. Hexvanna was somehow able to discover his positioning and sent in masses of Shemals to strike him from afar. His forces were too compact to move. Her Shemals focused down his units in the back lines who were stuck. His Kwah-Kais blocked him from the front and the wall blocked his retreat. He was a sitting duck. The game ended within forty five minutes with Artanis wanting to bang his head onto the table which made Hexvanna laugh in amusement.

"How did you know that my set up was vulnerable to Shemals? You barely had any forces on my side half way through it. There's no way your sight could reach me," Artanis said at a loss.

"I used my Dae'Uhl to extend my vision. I had her placed near the edge of my side and I had her fly up. Due to the fog of war, you couldn't see her but I was able to see the bulk of your units in the center of your field. I realised that you wanted to counter my Malz tactic so I decided to use the opposite strategy, Shemals," she replied.

"Ugh, you are not an easy foe to face, I'll admit," Artanis said.

Hexvanna was happy to see that Artanis was taking his losses calmly. She thought that he would take it worse considering she wasn't giving him any chances to retaliate.

"Let us play another round. I refuse to leave with a score of all losses," Artanis said with some enthusiasm.

"Very well," she replied.

Once more, the settings were picked and the different types of maps were put onto display. This time Hexvanna decided to choose which map that they would play on. Artanis felt very uneasy about her choice. It looked like an exact replica of the planet of Char, the staging point of the Zerg. It was an underground large cavern that looked like the size of his city, New Antioch. The ground was covered in creep that was like a living organism. It was purple and gray and felt very slimy. It wasn't harmful to his people but it was very gross and the smell that it created was nauseating. It was too much Zerg for Artanis. He despised everything about the map.

Nevertheless, it was still the field that he had to use. This time, he decided to put his units in groups. There were five groups, each possessing four units. The first group consisted of Adun, Shemal, and two Kwah-Kais. The second had Dae'Uhl, Shemal and two Kwah-Kais. The third and fourth has to Kwah-Kais, one Malz and one Aruni. The fifth group had both Amaks and last two Kwah-Kais. He placed the groups in a five edged star formation. His third and fourth group were on the flanks. His fifth group was in the far back. His first and second were next to each other in the center. Each group was positioned like a diamond with four corners. This helped their ability to move and ability to defend the other. Traps were also set along his border. Ditches were his main ones.

Unlike the two previous matches, he actually put up an actual fight this time. He wasn't able to bring the fight to Hexvanna's side but he still fought valiantly. He was able to kill a good number of her Kwah-Kais, both of her Malz and Arunis but he still lost in the end. When she tried using her tactic with Malz, they entered only to fall in the ditches that he had placed. They became stuck and lost their armour and were like sitting ducks for his Shemals. The Arunis that she brought in were cut down by his third and fourth groups but they ended up losing their diamond formation and sniped by her multiple Shemals. Without his melee support, he lost ground quickly and was enveloped.

"Wow, you really did well in that one. You forced me switch tactics multiple times. Impressive," Hexvanna said cheerfully. "I'm sorry; I got to do something very quick. I'll be right back."

She took off her head piece, got up and walked out of the room. Despite losing, Artanis felt good about how well he did. At least it wasn't a total loss. However, there was still something that he was missing, something that he wasn't paying attention to. It had caused each of his losses. He was neglecting something of great value that would give him the power to obtain victory. He thought carefully on it. Each time, his formation was crushed and his king and queen were left to fend for themselves. Each time, he was countered by the Kwah-Kais that turned into units that countered his formation. Each time he tried moving out, they were shot down and he was constantly put onto the defensive. He visualized each map on the table and thought about how each game progressed.

_"The fifth piece is called Dae'Uhl the Matriarch or you can call it the queen. This one is capable of leaping into the sky and by doing so; it is able to reveal a part of your enemy's side depending on where it is. This only lasts a single turn. If anything is hiding in the open within its range, it becomes revealed and Dae'Uhl is capable of moving right behind it. It freezes it just like Aruni and kills it within two turns if it is not stopped,"_Artanis remembered.

That was it. He realised what he had been doing wrong each time. He lacked information that derived from his range of sight. In each game, he was always fighting on his half of the map with his Dae'Uhl in the middle or rear. She was never close enough to see what was on her opponent's side when she flew into the air. Hexvanna had most likely placed her Dae'Uhl near her front lines to maximize her range. Her Adun was probably near there as well for her imitations to get so deep into his side without reverting back to Kwah-Kais. He was unable to counter attack properly because he didn't know what Hexvanna had up her sleeve due to the fog of war. It all made sense. To win the game, you need intelligence and the proper understanding of why their pieces are set up the way they are. Hexvanna was able to analyze each of his set ups with such precision and accuracy that it completely countered his lineup. He felt foolish for not thinking of it before. For Hexvanna, intelligence gathering was her specialty as well as her tactic. Find out how your enemy is set up, and then use that information along with the terrain to plan accordingly.

It made so much sense. He now had an idea of how to win. The problem was how he would set it into play.

Hexvanna returned after a few minutes. She sat back down and asked if Artanis wanted to play another round. He happily accepted.

"Do you mind if I pick the next map? Your last choice was completely out of my normal boundary," Artanis asked.

"If it will truly help, then by all means,"

"Thank you," he replied.

The map reappeared on the table. Artanis quickly skimmed through all of the landscapes that looked simple and smooth. He needed a map that was uneven and jagged like the volcano one that he had played on before.

Unlike before, Artanis was taking his time and taking much longer than before. Hexvanna sat there while leaning on her arm. Artanis was taking the time to scan through every little detail that the maps had. After ten minutes of deciding, he finally picked one. It was very unusual and odd. Both he and Hexvanna believed that this one was complex and flat out time consuming. It was the one with the twenty foot wide chasm that had underground passage ways that connected both sides to the other. He read a small description that mentioned that the fog of war was especially strong within this map due to the tunnels and passages. Artanis locked in the map, much to Hexvanna's dismay.

"Why this map? I thought you said it looked difficult," she claimed.

"I don't know, I just feel as if this would make a good map," Artanis said while trying to cover up his lie.

He had a plan in his head and this map was the best suited for it. He wasn't sure if it would work but it was worth the shot. If it did work out, then the match would be his.

On his side of the field, there were two very tall rocky pillars that resembled totem poles. They stood around thirty metres in height and a half a meter in width. There was a large cave behind both pillars that led underground by a staircase. It led to a passage way that divided into three paths that joined up again at a single point. The passage would then narrow down and continue to the other side of the chasm towards Hexvanna.

Artanis placed Dae'Uhl at the section where the three underground paths joined back as one and placed four Kwah-Kais behind her. He placed one of his Shemals, Malz and Amaks behind a large rock situated in the passage way right along his border. Every other piece was positioned at the top of the staircase. He placed one explosive at the base of each pillar, one in front of the underground path where it narrowed and a barrier trap further on in the path.

He locked in his set up and was surprised to discover that Bakshan had already finished hers.

"You took your time," she remarked.

"Just trying to think of the best way to do this," Artanis responded.

After the match, Artanis was the one who was able to celebrate a victory. Hexvanna sat there in utter disbelief while staring at the map. Artanis sat satisfied at his victory. His plan had worked and he was able to stay a step ahead of her. Hexvanna wanted to say that Artanis had somehow cheated but she knew that he had outsmarted her and did the unthinkable.

There were two different scenarios that Artanis had thought up during the game. His plan was to use his units underground as a diversion from his main force. His diversion would lure Hexvanna's main force down. Due to the lack of space, she would be unable to see how many forces he had and even with Dae'Uhl, the lack of space and the layers of rock would prevent her from seeing his numbers. This would allow Artanis to commence his second phase of his master plan. By activating the bombs at the base of both pillars, they would fall down and the top part would land on Hexvanna's side and create a temporary bridge where his main force could come in from the top and storm in from the cave on her side. After finding out about his other assault, she would try to break through his diversion force and cross the narrow passage with the bulk of her forces including Adun. Thanks to the barrier trap that he had placed during set up. It would trap them inside of the passage long enough for Artanis to activate his other trap. It would explode and cause the passage to crumble away and make those inside fall to their doom. If Dae'Uhl wasn't one of them, then Artanis would finish her off with his main force and it would end.

The second scenario was very similar. If Hexvanna placed the bulk of her forces outside of the cave and was planning to make a bridge to connect, then her main force would be focused on his main force and his diversion force would make their way up to make another pincer attack. Through heavier losses and a lengthier game, it should have still ended in his victory. Luckily for him, the first one was what happened.

"I can't believe it. Are you really the same Artanis that I beat three times in a row? You just crushed me within less than twenty five moves! I cannot believe that the Khala's light has bestowed such a plan into your mind," she said in disbelief.

"I'm afraid that I am," Artanis said while laughing.

"How did you think up of such a plan?"

"By analyzing your tactics, I figured out what your main choice of battle was. I simply created a plan that would counter your strategy," Artanis said.

"Were my tactics that noticeable? I tried hiding them by telling you stories when we were on our way here. The stories weren't fake, they were just alternative methods that I used," she responded.

"You used similar strategies that possessed a pattern. All I did was find out what the source of that pattern was and found a way to counter it, luckily, I succeeded," Artanis said professionally.

"Aww, that is too bad. I really thought my tactic was solid. You seem to know a lot about this sort of stuff," she asked.

"I had to. I served as an Executor for the Conclave, for Tassadar and his forces and then as a Praetor after the fall of Auir up until the end of the Brood War," Artanis explained with some anxiety.

"No way, at your age? You are barely older than I am!" Hexvanna responded.

"It's true though. I do not lie. I served as such for quite a while. I learnt a lot during that time but my skills as one had diminished greatly since then. This T.S.S.D. seems to have wiped some dust off of it," Artanis responded.

"I'm glad to hear that but what made you stop?"

Artanis almost froze at the question.

"Oh…well…I didn't really do well as a Praetor. In fact, my reputation started going downhill during the middle of the Brood War," he replied like an old war veteran.

"Say no more Artanis. I can already tell that it pains you to tell me this much. Leave it at that for now," Hexvanna said.

Artanis felt relieved to hear it. He didn't want his past to discourage him after he had finally won his first match against Hexvanna.

"Do you wish to play another round?" Hexvanna asked.

"Why of course. I'll make sure to catch up to you in wins," Artanis said feeling better.

The both of them continued playing matches until it became late at night. Each game became longer and more intense than the last. Hexvanna gained more experience in the game while Artanis's skills as an Executors slowly but gradually returned back to him. They both laughed and enjoyed themselves, something that Artanis hadn't experienced in a long time. Unknown to him however, there was someone who was trying to reach him on his transmission device back at his home.


	6. Chapter 5: A Call for Change

**Chapter Five: A Call For Change**

"Find him! He couldn't have gotten far! Make sure you check every single place! He cannot escape us!" Mashuk demanded.

His eight companions quickly ran off trying to find their sole target. There was no one who would stop them. It was late at night and everyone else should have been sleeping. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Artanis. He had a Templar Knight behind his back and Artanis was terribly weak when it came to physical strength. Mashuk had no reason to fear him.

Artanis breathed heavily as he leaned against the wall behind a large generator that had a purpose that he was unsure of. He was in a middle of a crisis. His legs were exhausted from all of the running already and he hadn't had his nutrient pills for over half the day. He was running on empty and his gut still gave him some discomfort. Drops of sweat rolled down his face as he thought of what to do. The area was being turned upside down by Mashuk's hooligans. They would find him eventually. If he went out now, then he would be spotted in no time and he was in no shape to sprint again. He felt that there was no way out. He looked around trying to find a better place to hide or take refuge but didn't see anything. He cursed himself for leaving the library archives so late. It gave them enough time to set up an ambush for him.

"Have you seen him yet?" Artanis heard one of Mashuk's subordinates call out.

"No, I haven't!" someone else responded.

The voices were less than a block away. Artanis could hear their obnoxious footsteps from fifty meters away. He forced himself back onto his feet and turned the corner. He scouted around and saw no one in sight. He began doing a light jog towards an abandoned building across from him. Halfway through, he heard voices that made him hurry and become scared for his life.

"Hey! There he is! Get him!"

Artanis felt one of his hearts stop. His mind froze as his body continued jogging out of desperation. After a few more seconds, he snapped out of it and returned to his dire situation. He looked behind him and saw his pursuers closing in. He reached the building but there was no point anymore. He ran to his right and heard his chasers yelling at each other while trying to surround him. As he ran along the building, he saw a teleportation pods not too far from where he was. In fact, it was right fifteen feet away from the edge of the corner. He saw a ray of hope and hurried towards it.

"Come on you slowpokes! Hurry up or else you will be impaled on Mashuk's blade!"

The others started to pick up their pace at the fearful thought. Artanis tried to hurry but to no avail. He got to the edge of the building and was about to turn towards the pod but felt a punch land right onto his left cheek. He came crashing down to the ground and held his face in pain.

"Well then. What do we have here?" Mashuk said sarcastically.

He grabbed a hold of Artanis's sash and pulled him up.

"You look quite tired Artanis. Are you alright, High Templar?" he asked.

Artanis kept himself silent and avoided staring into Mashuk's sinister eyes. He heard his comrades gather around him while breathing heavily.

"You made me look like a coward and a fool when we met. I feared you because of your rank but now, I'll make sure that defending that female was the worst decision in your life!" Mashuk threatened evilly.

Artanis felt himself get shoved down to the ground followed by being kicked all over his body. He squirmed to get out but he felt his body get stomped down. His body quickly formed bruises. He covered his head with his arms which only made them beam down on him harder. He suddenly felt his gut get kicked.

"Arghhhh!" Artanis screamed out in pain.

"Stop!" Mashuk ordered.

His men stopped their relentless assaults.

Mashuk got closer to Artanis and with full force, he kicked his stomach. Drops of blood splattered onto both him and the ground. His eyes grew satisfied as Artanis yelled at the top of his lungs. Artanis immediately held his stomach in pain while trying to shield it from any other strikes. He felt tears form in his eyes at the unbearable pain. Mashuk laughed at Artanis's suffering which was followed up by more laughter.

"This is truly just pathetic. How did you even reach the rank of High Templar with your feeble power? What useless trash. You are weak as a Terran being!" Mashuk shouted while kicking Artanis's head.

Artanis lied there on the ground in pain. His body didn't want to move. He felt too powerless and too exhausted to do anything. The metallic knots that kept his dreadlocks in a ponytail were broken and in pieces. His dreadlocks were a mess.

"You know what? I think I'll go for that rookie after I'm done. I'm sure she'll enjoy knowing that you were beyond useless and that it will be your fault for her suffering," Mashuk said laughing.

Artanis's eyes opened wide at the threat. He forced himself onto his knees and hands and tried getting up.

"I…I…won't…let you," Artanis said while barely getting onto his feet.

He rose his fist into the air only for him to get punched back to the ground. He tried getting back up but his body felt too weak to manage it again.

Mashuk took a look at Artanis's appendages and thought up an idea. He grabbed them by their root in the back of his head and activated his psionic blade.

"These appendages represent our connection to the Khala and the amount of control we have over our powers. Considering your powers are utterly weak and that you are no stronger than a mere Nerazim, I think that we should sever them. Don't you think?" Mashuk said.

Artanis winced at what Mashuk said. He tried to move in objection but his body merely shook in fear. The others around him laughed and agreed. He felt the blade edge closer to his appendages and closed his eyes at what he was about to suffer.

However, the blade was taken away from his dreadlocks and it caused him to open his eyes.

"What the? Who are you?" one of Mashuk's men said.

"Who cares? Take him down!" Mashuk ordered.

The eight warriors ran off and Artanis heard the fight that went on near him. He heard the punches, the yelling, the kicks, people being sent flying and the breaking of bones.

"He's too strong! We can't beat him!" Zalir said in fear.

He stepped back towards Mashuk as the Templar approached the two of them. Mashuk looked around to the bloody scene behind him. Seven of his subordinates were on the ground, each holding a broken arm in pain. Very small pools of blood dripped from their wounds. He started shaking as well and let go of Artanis's head. Artanis let out a grunt as he dropped.

"What the hell are you?" Mashuk said while trying to sound tough.

The hooded figure raised his head and all Mashuk saw were glowing red eyes in the shadowy face.

"Step away from him! Right now!" the hooded figure demanded.

The voice terrified both Zalir and Mashuk. They immediately stepped away from Artanis while stumbling along the way.

"Take your fools and leave. If you ever come near this Templar again, I will break every single bone within your bodies and then burn you all to ashes," the figure said

Even Artanis felt intimidated by the Templar. The voice screamed with rage and hatred. It could not be distinguished between a male or female Protoss. It was only full of utter evil, like a monster unknown to their kind. It terrified Artanis just like it did to Mashuk and Zalir who stood trembling behind the other.

"I told you to leave! If you do not move, then I will do to you what I did to them!" the hooded figure said while point to the other seven.

Zalir complied and walked over to his comrades to help them. Mashuk was still frozen in fear and couldn't feel his legs.

The hooded figure ignored him and took a step forward. Mashuk dashed away from the powerful figure and ran towards another location and left his seven wounded men and Zalir to take care of themselves. The hooded figure bent down and took off their hood. Artanis couldn't believe who it was under the hood. Never in his life did he think that his savior would be that Templar.

"It's okay Artanis. They are gone now. Just relax and let me do the rest," Hexvanna said with a voice softer than anything that he had heard before.

"Hexvanna...is that really you?"

"Don't speak anymore. Save your strength. You are really injured and you are turning pale. You need some nutrients in you," Hexvanna replied.

She took out a capsule full of nutrient pills and grabbed out four of them. She took one of her dreadlocks and connected it to one of Artanis's. She also grabbed another one of his, opened it and poured the four pills inside. Within seconds, Artanis's breathing returned to a steady pace and his skin returned to its normal shades of blue. The pain that he felt also escaped his body as his laid there staring at Hexvanna and still shocked.

"I'm assuming that you are wondering how I knew you were in trouble," she said calmly.

Artanis nodded his head in silence.

"I was coming back from the Templar Archives and I saw Mashuk's friends running around and checking random places. I started following them and I heard your name among their conversations and started running after them but I lost them when something fell and blocked my path. I soon found them here with you. I'm sorry that I arrived too late Artanis," Hexvanna said with a tear in her eye.

Artanis felt his hand get gripped by Hexvanna's soft hands as she brought it to her face. Artanis closed his eyes and nodded again. His life was just saved by someone whom he didn't anticipate. She had returned the favor that he had done to her. He could now relax and trust himself within her arms. Yet, there was something else eating him away from the inside. It was more evil that what he had just witnessed. It threatened his entire existence. He couldn't shake off the feeling that it could shatter their friendship but he couldn't do anything about it now. He was too weak and beaten and left it alone for the time being.

Two weeks after the incident, Artanis was back inside of his apartment and was pretty much back to normal. For the first week, he was in in the recuperation center that was near his apartment. Bakshan came to see him twice but was mostly busy with things outside their control. Hexvanna visited him every day. There was only one time where they overlapped and visited Artanis while the other was present. In that one visit, Artanis had introduced them to each other and watched as they both conversed and chatted among themselves. He felt more comfortable knowing that they were with him. However, each time Hexvanna came to visit, he felt that evil in himself grow.

It reached the point where he started to converse less and less causing the following visits to become shorter. He soon stopped talking to her completely and ignored whatever she said. Ever since he returned back to his home two days ago, his communication devices have been going on almost every hour and he's heard people at his door but never answered it. All he did was lie on his bed while staring at his wall.

The fact was that Artanis was envious. He couldn't accept the level of strength that Hexvanna possessed. He despised the fact that Hexvanna was capable of demolishing his attackers while he was unable to do anything against them. He looked at her as someone who was weaker than he was and it gave him a sense of pride and manliness. He didn't consider her as inferior but he felt more of a warrior in her presence, like a knight in shining armour.

Now after seeing her display of true strength, he felt that he was inferior to her. He felt weaker, less of value and he couldn't stand it. She probably didn't even need his help when Mashuk and his hooligans were harassing her. She could have handled them on her own. She didn't need him.

Artanis was jealous of her strength. He couldn't fathom the difference in their strength. It made him feel awkward and the more he saw her, the more jealous he became and the more he couldn't accept it. He felt so useless. He wasn't good enough to help anyone or to hold any actual value. His reputation was already in tatters since the Brood War. Now he felt really weak, weak as a Checwawa. It frustrated him in so many ways. The entire incident showed him reality, the reality of being weak and unable to do anything of use. Through the anger, depression, jealousy and split feelings, he pitied himself from the bottom of his hearts.

From hours on end, he stared at his ceiling thinking of everything in his life and how it had led up to this point in his life where he felt below everything. The bleeping and ringing from his transmission device started to go off again. He groaned at how many times Hexvanna had been trying to contact him. He simply ignored the bleeping. Unfortunately for him, it didn't stop. The bleeping was constant. After fifteen minutes, Artanis grew irritated enough to grab it and shut it off himself.

However, before he did that, he noticed that the transmission was coming from Bakshan. He immediately answered it and was met with an unhappy Bakshan.

"Artanis, where exactly have you've been? Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to reach you?" Bakshan shouted at him through the device.

"I am not sure," Artanis replied nervously.

"Since yesterday you fool! I've been trying to contact you almost every hour! I would have checked on you myself but I have been busy dealing with all these things going regarding the Khalai Alliance. Where have you've been?" she asked him once more.

"I apologize, Bakshan. I've been at my home the entire time," Artanis replied hesistantly.

He prepared himself for the scolding that he was about to receive.

"If you have been at home this entire time, why did you ignore every single one of my calls? Are the receptors in your skin dying that you can't hear your device ringing?" she asked in a louder tone.

"If I had realised it were you calling me, then I would have answered immediately," Artanis said while trying to lie.

In truth, he was trying ignoring everyone. He wanted to be alone to think but at the same time, he also yearned for someone's comfort while he was in solitude. He scratched the soft between his eyes as he remembered the feeling.

"Was there someone else trying to reach you?" Bakshan asked. She calmed herself down a bit and her voice returned to its normal volume.

Artanis felt hesitant on telling the truth. He wasn't sure how he would say it or how Bakshan would respond. It was clear to him that Bakshan had befriended Hexvanna. He didn't want to bad mouth her because she did save his life and he didn't want to reveal the truth because he wanted more time to think. However, he also knew that if he lied, then Bakshan would find out eventually, whether it would be immediately or later on, he didn't want to take the risk. He has seen her when she was enraged. All those who had crossed paths with her in that state had faced her wrath and almost were brutally killed.

"Yes there was…In fact, it was Hexvanna…" Artanis responded.

"Hexvanna? Why are you trying to ignore her?" Bakshan asked.

Artanis's next words were nothing more than gibberish. They sounded like a bunch of syllables and noises smacked together just like a horrible song being made up on the spot.

"What?" Bakshan asked while bringing her head closer to the device.

"It's because she made me feel weak, like an inferior Protoss warrior who is useless and not needed!" Artanis blurted out.

"Artanis…What did Hexvanna say to make you think like that? I don't believe that she would say such a thing to you. She seemed like such a gentle Templar, unlike most Templars from her tribe," she replied.

"It wasn't what she said. It was what she did…" Artanis said.

"I do not get what you mean, elaborate,"

"You know how two weeks ago, when I was certain of my own death, she came to my rescue and dispatched almost every single one of my attackers!" Artanis said.

"Yes, I know that already, but how could that possibly make you feel this way?"

"Don't you see what's wrong with this picture? Hexvanna is only half way through her training. Even though she should only possess half of my strength, she was capable of dispatching Mashuk and his gang while I was too powerless to stop them…" Artnais explained.

"So, you are moping around and ignoring the world just because Hexvanna seems to be stronger than you?" Bakshan asked.

"You aren't seeing the full picture. I'm weaker than she is. My power pales in comparison even though I am above her in rank. That isn't normal. She shouldn't be stronger than a High Templar like me when she isn't even one herself yet!" Artanis complained.

"That is merely an assumption Artanis. You are only theorizing that she is supposed to be weaker than you just because of your rank. That isn't always the case. I was only a team leader in the Intel and Assassination Core but I still possessed powers that of a Dark Knight," Bakshan countered.

"That may be true but that doesn't change anything. How is it that a rookie could surpass me? I've been through so many battles and missions that her experience is only one percent of mine yet she is still better than me! Don't you get how low it makes me feel? It has shown me that the universe is unfair and that reality is unjust with its distribution of power. Thousands of our people were born to be strong while I was born weak and to fail in whatever I try to accomplish. It burns me up inside and makes me frustrated and angered! I just despise it!" Artanis replied frustrated.

"Artanis, stop being hard on yourself. You are comparing yourself to others and that isn't good for both your mental state and your emotions. You will only drown yourself in a nightmare of pain and agony," Bakshan said with worry.

"It irritates me knowing that she probably didn't even need me to intervene when she was being harassed by those idiotic Neanderthals. She could have dealt with them herself! And what did I get out of helping her, ambushed and almost beaten to death! I am starting to regret ever meeting her in the first place. All she has done is made me feel worse about myself …" Artanis said spitefully.

"You can't possibly mean such a thing. She looks up to you and she considers you one of the closest Templar's that she knows at the moment. Don't forget to mention that she saved your life," Bakshan said in Hexvanna's defense.

"That last part doesn't help at all! It's what putting me through this aggravated moment right now! The fact still remains that if we had never met, then I wouldn't be lying here sulking to myself," Artanis replied.

"I saw the look on your face when both she and I were there with you. I could see the happy feelings and joy that you had when she was in your presence. Don't try to deny it Artanis," she said.

"Why are you taking her side? I'm one of your close friends am I not? If I am, then you should be supporting me instead of defending Hexvanna! I'm the one who needs it more!" Artanis said like a spoiled child.

"Artanis…" Bakshan said annoyed.

"You always support me whenever I feel like this. Why aren't you doing a better job like you have before?" Artanis complained.

"Artanis! Shut up you ignorant fool! Don't you dare say anything else. You have no right to criticize me when I am trying to support you, especially when you never listen to what I ever say!" Bakshan said with a loud roar. "You are wondering why I am defending Hexvanna instead of trying to support you? The reason should be obvious! Whenever I try supporting you, all you listen for are the words that make you feel at ease. You never listen to the important things I tell you. All you do is sulk, cry and pity yourself like a spoiled infant! I've told you before to leave your past behind you and to move on but you never do. Even though it has been more than a year, you are still the same Artanis! You don't change; you keep yourself at the same level and hope for the best! That is not how a warrior of the Akilae Tribe should behave, especially if you are a High Templar! The other reason why I am defending Hexvanna is because she is the only other friend that you have other than me. I am well aware of what you both consider each other and I also know how caring and kind she truly is! Your arrogance and your delusional pride are blinding you from walking the right path towards a bright future!"

"Bakshan, I-"

"Keep quiet you idiot! I'm not done yet. You've complained to me that you feel weak and useless and I've tried helping you but you don't listen! Now you've built up some sort of thought that tells you just because you are a High Templar, it means that you have power. I am sorry to tell you this but that is absolutely false. True that High Templar warriors are known for their mastery over psionic energy but it is also due to their intellectual minds that allows them to make significant decisions during missions or battles! You served as an Executor under the Conclave and Tassadar as well as a Praetor during the Brood War. You have a lot of experience and your skills are known. Don't think that you're one because of your psionic power! It's because of your tactical abilities that have kept you from being reduced to Mashuk's level. I know what you are thinking. These don't seem like things I should be saying but after all the times that I have tried, this is my last resort," Bakshan lashed out.

Artanis was forced to bring the device away from him due to her loud scolding. He also couldn't believe what was being thrown out to him by the closest friend he knew. It really hurt him emotionally but he analyzed everything she said through a complex yet short process.

"What you consider yourself Artanis is in fact true. You are weak and useless. You lack proper combat training; your mastery over psionic energy is limited but has potential, your physical strengths are pale compared to an average Zealot. I won't blame you for defending yourself but you cannot hide those facts with cheap words of comfort that you always turn to me for. All you do is mask the true problem that has been torturing you for these past years. This has to stop. If you are truly the brave and courageous Templar who fought under Tassadar, then you must accept your weaknesses and fight to destroy them. To do that, you can't throw way what little friends you have. You will need their support as well. You cannot just keep relying on me. That time will soon come to an end, whether it be in a few years or tomorrow," Bakshan said while lowering her voice with each sentence until she was calm again.

Artanis started to go deep into his thoughts. He searched for something that he could use in retaliation to what she was saying. He skimmed through everything he could think of, past conversations, past actions, friends who haven't been killed or defect to their respected sides and anything that might have helped delude him further but he found nothing. Everything that had happened in the past two to three years was exactly what Bakshan had said. He never took in what she really tried to say. All he did was take the easiest and laziest path that would bring him less pain and covered his real problems. He never tried to change. All he did was train himself in what he had already mastered thinking that it would somehow become stronger. His world came crashing down on him. It was tough for him to take in and it left him speechless.

Artanis heard the sound of someone walking in and speaking to Bakshan. He couldn't catch what was said but he knew that it was serious.

"Listen Artanis, I must go now. Wargan'us is calling a meeting and I must attend it. I'd hate to leave you now but I have no choice. I think it would be better if I gave you some time to think about this. However, please note this. Your decision right now will decide your fate. Make sure you choose wisely. Farewell Artanis, until next time," Bakshan said to him before shutting off the device.

With that, silence returned. With it brought its agony, pain, despair and suffering to Artanis. He was left to think but had no idea of what to do. He unwillingly agreed with everything that she had said but what was left for him to do? Like his usual depressed self, he looked back to everything that had happened during the Invasion of Auir and the Brood War. He remembered his victories, his losses, his comrades and his life. He compared him from then to now and felt like an empty shell of what he used to be. He curled himself into a ball and laid there like a rock for what felt like hours.

_"Tassadar, how were you able to accomplish what you've done when everyone had their backs turned away from you? What gave you so much power that it was enough to turn you into a hero?"_

_ "Executor, it is obvious. It is because I never gave up. I knew what had to be done. The reason why I stand here is because I threw away everything that I used to have. I did what I had to do. My resolve was firm and I also had you and my comrades by my side to help me. It would have been impossible if I had been alone. When you are supported by those close to you and possess a firm resolve, even the impossible is obtainable," Tassadar replied._

"Resolve…Support…Was that really enough to push him forwards?" Artanis asked himself.

He uncurled himself and kept his eyes closed. It was like staring into an evil that you knew is near you and that if you opened your eyes to stare at it, it would strike. He started pondering between the resolve and the support that Tassadar talked to him about. For a while, he looked back to every moment where Tassadar had used those two keys in decisive battles. Along the way, he saw what his master had meant. It amazed Artanis at how much it was able to affect Tassadar in all of the insane things that he had done. However, there was still one thing that he felt was missing. It was clear that resolve and support were important but there had to be something else, something that made people look up to him and made him a true leader. He thought long and hard on it. It got to the point where it gave him a head ache for trying to use his brain so much but eventually, it brought him to the final battle of Auir, the one that decided the fate of the universe.

It was when he and Tassadar were having their last conversation before he was ejected out of the Gantrithor. His answer was in the last words that were said to him.

_"Do not believe in you who believes in me. Don't believe in me who believes in you. Have faith in the you who believes in yourself!"_

Artanis shot up from his bed with his eyes opened. He ran the same words through his head a dozen times.

"That's it," Artanis said to himself.

He knew what he was missing. He didn't have a lot of support since he didn't possess many friends, he lacked the resolve to change and to get stronger due to his foolish arrogance and he lacked the confidence in himself to succeed in it. After Tassadar had died, he was left with no support and his resolve became brittle which caused his confidence to diminish throughout the Brood War. It all became clear to him. They all connected in his head. He had found his answer.

However if it was all true, then he had to get as much support as possible. He knew that Bakshan was in no mood to deal with him as well as she was currently in an important meeting. That meant that the only other person was Hexvanna. Artanis immediately felt a strike to his heart at the thought of her. He quickly felt ashamed of what had happened in the past week. If he went to face her now, how hurt would she be? What would she even do? Would she block him out of her life for the idiotic things that he has done? It scared Artanis but something told him to ignore those fears and to go. It gave him the resolve to do it, to confront Hexvanna and to apologize for his behavior. It was the least that he could do for ignoring her and giving her foul expressions.

He got out of his bed and changed into something more appropriate. He got out of his rag tag clothing and into some average clothing. Oddly enough, it was the exact same clothing that he wore when he had met her. He walked out the door and raced to Hexvanna's apartment. As he walked through the hallways, he felt determined and strong willed. It was a feeling that gave people the encouragement and inspiration to do something. It brought him a nostalgic feeling.

He reached Hexvanna's apartment and rung the bell repeatedly which was something he started to regret after doing it. The door slowly slid opened and he stood face to face with her. Hexvanna almost jumped when she saw Artanis. She slid the door a bit closed and hid behind it while only revealing her face to him.

"Artanis…What are you doing here?" she asked shyly.

"I am sorry Hexvanna. I apologize for my selfish and outrageous behavior. Whatever I have done these past few days are unacceptable. I-I…I was ignoring you and giving you the cold shoulder because I was jealous. I was jealous of the strength that you possessed and pitied myself for how weak I truly was. I was blind to what I was really doing. I thought that by distancing myself from you, it would allow me to return to normal but I was wrong. The truth is, I was happier than ever in these last few weeks that I have been these last two years. I don't want my pathetic problems to break the friendship that we had. You are one of the closest comrades that I have and I hope that you can accept my apology," Artanis said.

Hexvanna avoided looking into his eyes and it made him nervous.

"You made me beat myself up. You know that right? I felt that I had done something wrong but I had no idea of what it was. Even though true warriors shouldn't be affected by mere emotions, it really hurt me when you cut me off," Hexvanna said sadly.

The words stabbed deep into Artanis and made him nauseous. It made him feel worse and more shameful.

"I'm sorry for the pain I caused. I wished that I didn't do such a thing, especially to the one who saved my life. I had no right to do what I did and all I wanted to let you know that I am sorry for it. You don't have to accept my apology, I just wanted to tell you that it wasn't your fault," Artanis said looking to the ground.

The door slid opened and he looked back to Hexvanna who jumped at him. She wrapped his arms around Artanis and buried her face into his chest with eyes full of joy. Artanis felt stunned and confused. He couldn't tell if the tears in her eyes were of joy or sorrow.

"You have no idea of how relieved I am to hear those words. It brings me so much happiness knowing that you came to tell me this and that you considered our friendship to be so valuable. Of course I'll accept your apology. If it will help put these past few days behind us, then I will be glad to," Hexvanna said thrillingly.

Artanis felt a huge amount of weight get lifted off of his shoulders. He had expected this to be much more difficult. He couldn't believe how simple it was along with how relieved and overjoyed he was feeling.

"This was quite a load off of my shoulders," Artanis let out.

"I feel the same way. I haven't been my normal self until Bakshan contacted me. I told her what I was going through and she told me to not worry. I guess she was right," Hexvanna replied.

Artanis felt a bit stunned at what Hexvanna said. Did Bakshan tell him to man up and change because of what his actions were doing to Hexvanna? It made sense to him and it was a good thing but it made him feel outwitted.

"Hexvanna…I know that this is rather out of the blue, but would you be willing to train me?"

Hexvanna looked up to him and noticed that she was still hugging him. She quickly backed off and regained her composure while patting her robes.

"Training you? What do you mean?" she replied.

"You were strong enough to take on nine Templar on your own. Even though I am a High Templar, I do not possess your abilities and it is about time that I started to learn. You seem to be more resourceful than others," Artanis said.

"Really? You are asking a rookie for training?" she asked surprised.

"Yes, I know. It isn't something that I would normally do but I feel as if you would be more beneficial than any other Templar in this tribe," he replied.

"Are you sure? I am not as strong as you think. I wouldn't want to disappoint you,"

"I am positive. It's true that I am not fully aware of how you utilize your powers but I am willing to learn. It is about time for me to make a change," Artanis said.

"I'm glad to hear that. It isn't easy at all though. Would you like to start now? We can head over to the Arush Aktun Hashok Adun if you wish," Hexvanna asked.

"Adun's Holy Sanctuary Room? What is that?" Artanis replied.

"It is like a sparring room but is more for the mind than the body. It's on the thirtieth floor. I thought you would have been up there before,"

"I never bothered to go up there. I figured that the sparring room where I lived was good enough,"

"Ah, I see. Well, It is something that High Templars would regularly use in order to train themselves. I'm surprised that you never tried though,"

"Indeed…I only worked on target practice and homing my own skills within the sparring room near where I lived. It would explain why I my powers are lacking…," Artanis replied.

"As I asked before, would you like to start now?" she asked him.

"Yes, that would be truly appreciated," Artanis replied.

Hexvanna nodded her head and went back inside to grab multiple items. After she was done, she entered a code into the character pad next to her door and sealed it shut. Hexvanna told him to follow her and he did what was told. They walked together for a few minutes feeling somewhat awkward of the silence between them. They both got to an elevator pod which almost instantly brought them to the thirtieth floor of the building. When the doors opened, Artanis was amazed at what he saw.

The Arush Aktun Hashok Adun was around half the size of the training room near Artanis's home. There were blue Khaydarin crystals that hung all over the room. The walls were made of thick cyan crystals themselves and mirrors were lined up along the walls. The both of them walked to the center. Artanis looked around in amazement at how beautiful and colourful it looked. It seemed truly fitting for the great Adun.

"Artanis, would you mind telling me what abilities you are capable of using with psionic energy?"

"I am capable of using it to read the minds of others unless their mind is closed. I am capable of using psionic storms over a small radius; I can conjure up psionic energies and discharge them at enemies. I am also capable of healing others without having to connect dreadlocks to others. I believe that is all I know currently. It doesn't seem as large as I would have hoped," Artanis said feeling weak at his short list.

"Don't worry. That seems average in my opinion. I am actually training to become a Nifla'Okai so I won't be able to help increase some of those skills that you know already. I can only teach you the Khala Koramund and some self defense moves," Hexvanna said.

"That is alright. I have no problems with that," Artanis replied.

"Good to know," Hexvanan said feeling relaxed. "As a Nifla'Okai, one must master the Khala Koramund. Similar to a High Templar, it is required to master their psionic powers. However, they must then learn how to change the nature of that energy as well as how to dissemble it. This means that by gathering up your psionic energy into your body and using your body to convert that energy into raw energy, you can use your own psionic energy to improve key aspects such as your speed, strength, agility, reflexes and other things," Hexvanna explained.

"Amazing, I never thought of it like that, using your psionic power to enhance your physical abilities. Is that what you did to take out Mashuk's men?"

"Yes, that was exactly what I used. I was able to block every one of their attacks and they were too slow to counter mine. It increases your physical attributes by three folds. The more psionic power you have, the longer and stronger you can make yourself be. This ability is only temporary. It acts like a power up when you are forced into close combat. You can imagine it as a High Templar who possesses the strength of a Nerazim warrior," Hexvanna replied.

"Truly remarkable…This is the exact skill that I need. My physical strength is below any Zealot but with this, I can become stronger. How difficult is this to learn and master?"

"It is extremely difficult. This is an ability that only certain Protoss warriors can master and use. This is not your everyday ability. It is unique and not common," Hexvanan replied with a more serious tone.

"What makes it so difficult?"

"It's being able to store your psionic energy within your own body and converting it into your own physical power. Using it isn't hard but being able to do that first major step is the most difficult part. Every Protoss can control psionic energy because our bodies are capable of handling that power. Our mind is able to gather it up but storing it and harnessing that power isn't as easy. Most Protoss store it into a key point and then unleash it in a given form but we have to absorb it and take it all in instead. This sort of situation is similar to humans. They can create nuclear explosions but they can't contain the blast itself. It is a complex process. Only the most skilled are capable of doing this. There was a rumour in my tribe saying that not even Zarvyn could wield this ability," Hexvann explained.

The explanation made Artanis feel nervous and uneasy. He didn't feel confident about being able to learn this ability anymore. He wasn't gifted like Hexvanna at all with this.

"However, I did some research on each warrior who was able to use this ability as well as myself. I found a common factor in each of them," Hexvanna continued.

"Really? What is it?" Artanis asked with hopeful eyes.

"It can only be used when one suddenly feels the motivation and the resolve to surpass whatever is in their way. It is rather strange but from what I have read, every Nifla'Okai was in a situation where they were in a life or death situation," she said.

"I see…That doesn't seem to help me as much as I hoped…How does someone know that they have unlocked it?" Artanis asked.

"They feel a massive spike in physical strength that causes their eyes to turn snow white and parts of their body to produce transparent white mist," Hexvanna replied.

Artanis's eyes opened wide. He remembered that happening to him once before. It was during his fight with Devakkar. In the middle of the duel, he remembered something that Tassadar said to him and it gave him the resolve to not waver and surrender. His pride was on the line and he was willing to do whatever it took to win. He remembered people talking about the weird white stuff that was wrapped around his hands and legs during the fight. He felt his hopes rising at what he thought it could have been.

"Hexvanna, before I had met you, I was fighting a Zealot Elite named Devakkar. I was losing the battle and was about to surrender but I heard Tassadar's words in my mind and it pushed me to try and win. I was somehow able to see all of Devakkar's movements and block each one. People had told me that my eyes became white and that my body was enveloped by some sort of white glow. I felt stronger and I was able to temporary dispatch Devakkar even though I can't lift his body. Do you think that it is possible that I…" Artanis said.

"That might actually be the case. I'm not fully sure though. How well are you at gathering up psionic energy?" Hexvanan asked.

"I am not the best but I do believe that I am at least above average," Artanis said.

"As long as you aren't below it that should be fine. Okay so first, stand right here," she said while gesturing him to go to where she stood.

He complied and walked over.

"Good, now start gathering up your energy as if you were going to discharge them but do not fire it," she ordered.

Artanis nodded and closed his eyes. He brought his hands together as if he was praying. He entrusted all of his senses to his skin and began picturing the billions of particles in the room that were made of pure energy. He used his mind to link each particle to his brain and sucked them into himself. As they entered him, he quickly sent half of it to both of his hands. He brought his hands apart with his fingers away from the other. The psionic energy began to pour into the space between his hands and he used his fingers to control its shape. As it grew, he brought his hands apart and tried to keep it all in until Hexvanna told him to stop.

"Okay Artanis, try to reverse this and bring the energy back into your arms," Hexvanna said.

Artanis didn't reply due to his deep focus. This was where it became difficult. It was easy to take in psionic energy when they were in particles but now it was all condensed and stuck into a blue ball of energy. He tried to rip them apart but that didn't work. In fact, all it was burst in his face and almost made him fall to the floor.

"Ugh…this truly is difficult…" Artanis said.

Hexvanna let out a small giggle.

"Don't worry, that happened to me when I tried as well," she commented.

"Do you mind explaining these steps and how they work? I might be able to do a better job if I know what I am doing," Artanis said.

"Sure, if it will help you, I will be glad to, so basically, the reason why you have to reverse it is because by now, the psionic energy has been turned into raw energy that can be absorbed. It is still psionic energy but now it could be molded, shaped and used for various means. Since we can't absorb the energy when it is in its individual particles, trying to convert it before we transform it is pointless. In order to reverse the process, you must use your mind to divide it into millions of smaller particles. This way, the particles will be large enough and formed in a way that our muscles and organs can convert it into energy. Once you are able to successfully divide it up, you must disperse it throughout your body. When that it done, you must keep it within yourself for a bit so that your body will accept it and then use as instant energy," Hexvanna explained.

"I see, so that is how it works. That is indeed a very complex process," Artanis said.

"The more psionic powers that you have, the more pieces that you will need to create when revering the energy. It will also allow you to maintain your power up for an extended duration and increase your power," Hexvanna added on.

"When you say it that way, how is it that not everyone can do this?"

"Because most are unable to pull apart the energy once it is given a form as well as they ca't store it within their bodies for the required time. However, the time needed for that will decrease the more you use it," Hexvanna explained.

"In other words, to truly discover whether or not I have unlocked this technique, I will have to see if I am able to break them down enough to be able to use them," Artanis responded.

"Exactly, so what we are going to do now is to find out if you truly were able to awaken this ability in that fight you had with that Zealot warrior. You will have to repeatedly do what I told you to do over and over. It might take a long time but the more times you do it, the better and faster our chances are," Hexvanna said.

"Very well then. Let's get started," Artanis said feeling uneasy about it all but also motivated to get things rolling.

For hours on end and day after day, Artanis gave hundreds of attempts to unlock the key that could change his life forever. Each time, he put more faith in than the last and with the help of Hexvanna, his spirit did not falter to the fear of failing. She helped him keep going and going. Artanis felt himself inch his way closer. Whether it be a mile or a light year, he felt that he would grab a hold of it eventually. All they could do was hope and wait.

Artanis's eyes opened wide as the ball of raw energy between his hands seemed to disintegrate. Hexvanna felt the psionic pressure within the room skyrocket and she saw a white aura glowing from Artanis. It covered his entire body and created a circle around his feet. The pressure inside the room caused the air to go berserk and create spiraling but soft winds to swivel about from Artanis. His eyes glowed pure white and it caused Hexvanna to hold in her urge to scream in joy and amazement.

"Artanis, you finally did it!" Hexvanna said with cheer.

"I have…I almost can't believe it. This power feels completely different. It's incredible. It is unlike anything that I have felt before. My body feels as if it has become one with the psionic energy itself. I now know how to break the energy apart. It seems so obvious now. Wait, when it comes to breaking down the energy and then using it for oneself, does that mean it can work on other individual's psionic powers?" Artanis said with a strong voice.

"Yes it can. By mastering how to break down the particles of a psionic energized attack, you can use your knowledge of this to cancel out their attack and use it to empower yourself as if it was your own energy," Hexvanna replied.

Artanis made his left hand into a fist and stared at it.

"Remarkable...Thank you Hexvanna. I could never have done this without you. This means the world to me," Artanis said with a tear forming in his eye.

"It wasn't me Artanis, it was you and your will to keep trying no matter how long it took. I am impressed though. You were able to accomplish this in a shorter time than mine," Hexvanna said.

"It was because you helped me. This would have never happened without you," Artanis replied.

Artanis felt his new strength begin to fade away quickly. The pressure returned to normal and the air became calm again. Artanis fell to his knees breathing heavily. Hexvanna rush to his side to help him.

"Don't worry about this Artanis. It is just an after effect from using Khala Koramund. It happened to me as well. As your body gets used to this, the effects will gradually stop. Even I am still getting used to it," Hexvanna said.

"Good to know," Artanis replied while still recuperating.

"Oh Artanis, have you noticed that the amount of Templars here are decreasing? Recently, I've seen less Templars around than when I moved here. Is something going on because I haven't been notified yet," Hexvanna asked while connecting her dreadlocks to his.

"Bakshan told me that battalions and legions are being called forth and that groups are being sent on missions, primarily around the Daelaam borders and important locations. I was also told that every mechanical specialist was sent to the robotic facilities in order to help construct new machines that would help deal with the Zarvyn's warships. However, I am not sure of how effective their creations will be to that monster," Artanis replied.

"Why haven't you've been selected yet?"

"I suppose it is because no one thinks I am strong enough to be of much use which is true…However that is why I am training with you to get stronger!" Artanis responded with enthusiasm.

"That is a good way to think of it. So, both you and Bakshan were able to reconcile? I am glad to hear that,"

"Well, we didn't really get into a full-fledged argument. I was merely being scolded for my stupidity but you can consider it reconciliation since we were able to get over it and return our friendship back to normal," Artanis replied.

'I see," she said.

"May I assume that you haven't been selected either because you are still in training?"

"I would believe that to be the case as well. I wouldn't be of much use when I am not fully ready yet," she replied.

"By the way quick question, how long should Khala Koramund last for?" Artanis asked.

"That will vary on your psionic power. The more power you have, the longer it lasts. In your case, it lasted for about a minute," Hexvanna said.

"Only a minute? That was less than I was expecting…"

"It gets used up at a rapid pace. Even I can't maintain this form for long. I think that I can only use it for two and a half minutes around," Hexvanna said.

"I see, so in order for us to truly master this technique, we must increase our psionic energy," Artanic commented.

"Yes, and we can also train our bodies to take in less energy but still give us the same amount of power for a longer period of time. If we can do both, then surely, we will be stronger," Hexvanna replied.

"You said that this ability is capable of increasing over strength by three times but to what extent? What would be the maximum?"

"The highest that I found out was eight fold. It belonged to Zeratul apparently," Hexvanna stated.

"Zeratul? He mastered this ability? No wonder his powers were so vast," Artanis said.

"Indeed…Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes I am. Thank you," Artanis said.

They both got back onto their feet. Artanis looked around the room and felt different. It made him feel somewhat fulfilled and contempt with himself.

"Artanis, we are only at step two now. Khala Koramund isn't just mastering this ability. We will have to train constantly until we can use this ability for more than ten minutes and then become specialists at hand to hand combat. In this case, we will only learn how to defend ourselves and to counterattack when we are faced with a strong melee combatant. That won't be easy either,"

"Self defense? That is perfect for me. It would be a pity if I had to depend on hand to hand combat and throw away what I already know. So, what are we waiting for, let's continue," Artanis said feeling motivated.

Hexvanna nodded in agreement and started working on their training.

For seventeen hours per day for two straight weeks, they both trained together in the Arush Aktun Hashok Adun trying to hone their skills in Khala Koramund and to increase their own psionic power. Day by day, their abilities increased and they became stronger than they were from the day before. Through frustrating, intense and patient training, they both were able to double their psionic power and almost master Khala Koramund. They both were able to vastly increase the duration of their power up to around seven to eight minutes compared to the mere one to three minutes that they had before.

For the next week and a half, they sparred with each other. It was tough for Artanis to keep up but he gradually became more experienced and efficient at it. They did numerous of intense and difficult exercises to strengthen their own bodies to help their bodies keep up with the stress and effects that their training had. After that, they practiced by throwing physical attacks at each other in order to improve their ability to block, dodge and counter each strike. Their minds and bodies grew accustomed to it all and they transformed themselves into warriors that far exceeded any average Protoss warrior. They both reached a level where any elite Zealot would have a difficult time landing a hit on either of them. They also focused on being able to absorb the power of another and using it as their own. They were practically done their entire training by the end of four weeks.

However, as they both trained fiercely, Bakshan was sent out onto the front lines with a handful of warriors to defend a vital position from being taken over. Luckily for them, Zarvyn had not unleashed the Tempest upon them yet. For multiple long weeks, she fought side by side intensely with her kin in defense of her home. The main thing that was on her mind was whether or not she would be able to return back to her home.


	7. Chapter 6: Fury of the Templar

**Chapter Six: Fury of the Templar**

A knocking was heard on Hexvanna's door. She quickly finished up with what she was doing and went to answer the door. She went to put her hand onto the scanner next to her door but hesitated for a moment. She thought for a moment and scowled a bit. There was another knocking and she quickly put her hand onto the scanner. The door slid opened and stood face to face with Artanis and Bakshan.

Artanis wore orange robes that covered his abdomen and half of his chest. It covered his left shoulders and left his muscular right side bare. He wore a casual headpiece that wrapped around his forehead, ran down his cheeks and narrowed to his chin. He wore an orange loin cloth that had both ends hanging down to his shins. He wore flexible small pieces of armor on his shoulders, shins and wrists that were yellowish beige.

Bakshan wore almost the same exact clothing except that her entire chest was covered and she had a metallic piece of armour wrapped around her pelvis with blue cloth hanging down to her knees from the rims of the metal. She wore no armor and had a cast on her arm that had a grey rope wrapped around her neck to give her arm support. She had pieces of crystals hanging from her severed dreadlocks.

Hexvanna herself wore her everyday robes that covered her entire body but this time, the sleeves were shorted like a vest and the bottom half looked similar to some sort of skirt. It had different designs and patterns that looked like scribbles to the eyes of humans. She wore her mother's amulet around her neck and coloured stones on her dreadlocks.

They both waved to her and gave her cheerful looks. Hexvanna returned the look and notified them that she would be finished shortly. She went back to gathering up her things and doing finishing touches.

"How is your arm doing Bakshan? Are you holding up?" Artanis asked.

"It is doing fine, it is unfortunately nothing but a hindrance but I can live with it. It is a good thing that it is only a fracture," Bakshan replied.

"Indeed, will you be returning to the front lines when it is fully healed?" Artanis asked.

"Most likely. I don't think that my replacement will be able to hold up against the Khalai Alliance's new offensive. When my arm is healed in six days according to the doctor, I will be bringing with me some reinforcements to help bulk up the defenses at the chasm," Bakshan said.

"That is unfortunate; I was hoping that you would be able to stay longer so that you would be able to see the results of Hexvanna's and my training. Since you left, we have been working vigorously and constantly in order to improve our skills," Artanis said proudly.

"That is good to hear," Bakshan said with a chuckle. "Why don't you show me it while I am still here?"

"Because we aren't fully there yet. We are around ninety five percent done. I need at least ten days to complete it and I wish for you to see it at my fullest," Artanis replied.

"I am impressed though. For you and Hexvanna to finish it within a month and a half, would it be insulting to assume that it is something simple?" Bakshan asked trying to not sound mean.

"It is much more than you think Bakshan. It is on a completely different level in my opinion. The only reason why Hexvanna and I are so close is due our hard work and dedication. We always woke up on the dot and immediately started training with only fifteen minute intervals to rest up and take breaks which were every eight hours. We pushed ourselves to the maximum limit which doesn't seem like the best thing to do but it worked out in the end. Once you see what I mean, then you'll be even more impressed. I guarantee that," Artanis said.

"I'll look forward to it then," Bakshan replied.

The door slid open again and Hexvanna stepped out.

"I'm ready now," Hexvanna said.

"Good, let's get going!"Artanis said cheerfully.

Hexvanna locked her door and the three of them were on their way. They headed down to the opening of a brand new Templar Archives. It was the tribe's most modern and advanced one yet. There were rooms and stalls that possessed devices that would allow users to see parts of history and almost replicate everything down to the last detail. It also had ones that could be used for training purposes but those were the last things on their minds. Even though it was a valuable archive, it also served as a choice of amusement. Battles and many other famous moments in Protoss history could be shown like a documentary movie. It was situated on the other side of the city where the civilians and workers lived. To get to it, they would have to get to the teleportation pods which would bring them to the other side across the river and then walk straight through the first three streets that they saw and then turn right and walk nine blocks. The archive was located near the enormous walls of the city.

As they were walking Hexvanna looked at Bakshan's cast.

"I never got ask you Bakshan, how did you get that cast on your arm?" Hexvanna asked.

"Oh this? I got it when I was defending the chasm located between the two mountains on our borders. Since it was a very narrow path, we were ordered to defend it with minimum warriors. However, the size didn't stop enemies from flooding into the chasms and trying to overwhelm us despite their inability to surround us. In my last engagement, one of my comrades was injured and fell to the floor. I went to defend them and as I helped him up, I felt myself get blasted into the wall next to me. My arm smashed into a jagged edge and caused my arm to be fractured and I was sent back to recuperate," Bakshan explained.

"Oh my, does it still hurt?" Hexvanan asked.

"Not much. My arm is doing pretty well," Bakshan replied.

"I'm glad to hear that," Hexvanan said.

They made their way out of the living district and headed towards the transportation pods that were eight kilometers away. They walked passed military installations and facilities. They could see new machines being assembled and pieces being created from the path they took. They saw dozens of sparks flashing at the welding of metal and heard the loud noises it caused. Hexvanna stared closely at everything they passed. She took in everything that she saw since she was still unfamiliar with all of the districts and sections that the city had.

After getting to the teleportation pods, they were forced to wait in a lineup that quickly shortened due to the great efficiency of the facilities. When it reached their turn, all three of them stepped into a see through stall. When they selected where they wanted to go, they activated the pod. Thousands of light rays shot out to them from every angle. Their bodies began to break down to atom sized particles. The particles began to get sucked into a vacuum from the ground and were transported to their chosen location at a speed that surpassed the speed of light. A small ventilation from the ground shot the particles into the pod on the receiving end. Just like how they disassembled them, the rays of light reconstructed their forms with the given particles until they were whole again.

Once they were complete, they stepped outside of the pod and continued on their way to the archive. As they walked to their destination, Bakshan began having an uneasy feeling. She felt a disturbance in her sense of security. She looked around to see if she could spot anything out of the ordinary but saw nothing that could have been it. She kept her guard up and continued on her way with her friends.

"Bakshan, are you alright? Something seems to be troubling you," Hexvanna asked.

"Oh, it is nothing. I thought I heard something but I guess it was my imagination," Bakshan replied.

"Are you sure? Do you think that it is possible that an intruder from outside was able to sneak their way in and hide in this district?" Artanis said sarcastically.

Bakshan let out a chuckle and a punched Artanis in the shoulder softly. Artanis laughed at what he said while Hexvanna looked around weirdly.

"Don't worry Hexvanna, Bakshan said that it was her imagination. Don't feel concerned. If someone did infiltrate the city, then we would have discovered it by now," Artanis said comfortingly.

"Yes, you are right. I'll take your word for it," Hexvanna said feeling more relaxed.

They continued on their way and paid less attention to the things around them. They occupied themselves with chit chat and things they saw around the city.

"Good, they didn't see me,"

The black shadowy figure ran off from where he hid to continue stalking his prey and disappeared into the dark shadows of the buildings.

The rest of their afternoon went smooth as a whistle. While in the Templar Archives, they got to experience one of the major battles that took place during the Aeon of Strife. They couldn't believe the amount of their kin that had fallen in that single battle. Blood stained the grass and the battlefield was littered with limbs. The grotesque site grew too much for them to endure so they decided to move onto something else. The next one had accurately depicted one of the most important moments in their entire history. Bakshan was especially moved and touched by the event while Artanis and Hexvanna watched in amazement.

It was the moment where the great Adun had protected the Nerazim from his other brethren as they were being loaded onto ginormous ships. Before the first blade could taste blood, the Khalai followers who wanted vengeance against them were blasted back a hundred feet by an unknown force created by Adun who was surrounded by immense psionic energy. He then used his powers to shove all of the Nerazim into the ships and launched them into space. However, the vast amount of energy that he had released caused him to burn out like a star.

Through this single act, he was considered a hero by both the Nerazim and the Khalai followers. To his own kin, they believed that Adun had protected the balance of their people by getting rid of their hated brothers. For the Nerazim, they regarded him their savior who protected them all single handily. After the documentary, they all exited the room and were shocked at how it had taken place.

"So it was true, he did burn out like star. I can't believe that he sacrificed his life for those he barely knew," Artanis remarked.

"Indeed, that was truly a remarkable feat," Hexvanna added.

They both turned to Bakshan who stood between them both. They leaned their heads in to see if Bakshan was really crying.

"Are you alright Bakshan? I know that what Adun was heroic but you already know about what had taken place," Artanis said.

"I am, it was just that seeing it unfold right in front of my eyes was much more meaningful that I had thought. You don't know how much we owe him for what he did. Just like how Tassadar is your hero, Adun is ours," Bakshan replied while wiping a tear out of her eye.

"Ah, I see. I understand completely," Artanis responded.

Hexvanna noticed a clock nearby and looked to check the time. When she saw it, her eyes widened. She felt herself heat up and turn a dark shade of blue. She started to look around and panic. Her heart rate increased and she started to breathe more rapidly. Her head was giving her some discomfort but she tried to hide it. Both her friends noticed and stopped to see what was wrong.

"Hexvanna, is everything okay? What's wrong?" Artanis asked quickly.

Hexvanna bent down while holding her head while confused. Bakshan kneeled down and placed her arm on her shoulders to help support her.

"Do you need to see a medical specialist? There is a recuperation center not far from here," Bakshan asked.

Suddenly, the discomfort subsided. Her breathing was still irregular but she felt calmer.

"It's okay. I think I will be fine. I'm truly sorry for doing this but I have to go. I just remembered something urgent and it can't wait," Hexvanna said quickly.

"Are you sure that you are alright? You don't look it," Bakshan said.

"Yes I am positive. Please do not worry about me. You two can continue on without me. I just have to finish something up and I'll see if I can return back to you both," Hexvanna said.

"Very well Hexvanna. Do you need us to send you an escort? We don't want something happening to you," Artanis said.

"No, no that is not necessary," Hexvanna said while heading towards the exit on the first floor.

"Okay, Hexvanna, we'll see you later, or tomorrow," Artanis said a bit hesitantly.

"Farewell for now Hexvanna, don't push yourself! Also, we will most likely return home within an hour or so!" Bakshan shouted out to her.

Hexvanna nodded and then hurried to leave. She left Artanis and Bakshan alone in the crowd with a tear in her eye.

"That was truly odd. Don't you think?" Bakshan commented.

"Yes it was, I wonder if there is something that we should be aware of," Artanis replied.

"Should we go after her?"

"She told us to not worry. I don't think that it is anything of great danger. I've been with her daily and never have I seen anything suspicious or alarming," Artanis replied.

"I don't feel right just leaving it like this. However, I will take your word for it. Just to be on the safe side, I'll send her a message in a half hour. I believe she was carrying her communicator, wasn't she?"

"Yes she was,"

"Good, then I will be able to check up on her if everything is alright," she said.

Artanis nodded in agreement. He looked around and saw something that caught his eyes.

"Bakshan…Over there! Look!" Artanis said while pointing to the balcony above them.

"No! They found me!"

Bakshan looked to where Artanis pointed.

"Trial of Tassadar," Bakshan read out.

"That was when my brothers and I helped free Tassadar from being executed by the Conclave. Let's take a look at it!" Artanis said excited.

Bakshan laughed and said, "Sure Artanis."

The both of them headed towards the elevator to go to balcony and left the dark figure to stare at them relieved. He quickly moved from his spot and searched for another place to hide.

Artanis and Bakshan entered the room and activated the machines that placed them in an illusionary world where they witnessed firsthand of Tassadar's trial and rescue. They watched from an overhead as hundreds of warriors clashed against one another while Protoss Carriers fought from above. They saw fortifications and numerous defensive structures blow up and become engulfed in blue flames. Artanis saw his former comrade Fenix in the front lines leading the charge and a Terran Galactic Warship belonging to his human companion, James Raynor in the sky. They watched as Tassadar's rescuers fought courageously to get to him. After finally breaking through the Conclave's defenses, they reached Tassadar and broke open the stasis cell that kept him captive.

Before Tassadar and his allies could fully escape, reinforcements from the Conclave appeared and surrounded their forces from all sides. Judicator Aldaris stepped in himself and taunted the rebels for their naïve hopes of winning. Right before he could arrest all of the traitors, Zeratul and a large number of Nerazim warriors stopped them. Appearing right behind Aldaris with a blade to his throat, Zeratul took him hostage and was able to lead the way for Tassadar and his followers to safety. Instead of killing Aldaris, Zeratul let him go and directly insulted the Conclave's judgment and its experience as a government before leaving.

_"You speak of knowledge, Judicator? You speak of experience? I have journeyed through the darkness between the most distant stars. I have beheld the births of negative-suns and borne witness to the entropy of entire realities... Unto my experience, Aldaris, all that you've built here on Aiur is but a fleeting dream. A dream from which your precious Conclave shall awaken, finding themselves drowned in a greater nightmare," Zeratul said enraged._

_ "We shall see…" Aldaris responded spitefully._

_ With that, the doors closed and the transport ships quickly flew away with Tassadar, Zeratul, Artanis and any other allies that they brought with them inside. All of the other hundreds of warriors withdrew from the ruined fortress and fled with their leaders._

The documentary finished and both Artanis and Bakshan returned to reality. They deactivated the machines in the room and stepped outside.

"I felt overjoyed to hear what Zeratul had said. His words embodied the feelings that my people had towards their cursed Conclave," Bakshan said.

"Indeed, I thought it was truly intriguing when I first heard him say that. It was what helped me confirm that the side I was on was the right one," Artanis said.

"Also, you did a wonderful job in helping your friends get to Tassadar and freeing him. If it weren't for your quick tactics and decision making, then the mission could have either failed or high casualties could have been suffered," Bakshan stated.

"Thank you, I really appreciate that. I actually believe that my skill as a tactician has finally been restored to its former glory. Ever since I started to train my mind again by using Hexvanna's Tactical Simulator Strategy Device, I am now able to see historic battles differently again," Artanis said feeling good about himself.

"I am fully aware Artanis. Don't you remember when you beat me almost two months ago? I wasn't even holding back, I went at you with all I had but you still managed to defeat me. Like I said before, that is impressive if I must say," Bakshan complimented.

Artanis felt himself blush a bit. Hearing that from Bakshan was worth a thousand compliments from strangers. Artanis checked out the time and noticed that it was getting late. He looked outside the window that was fifty feet across from him and saw the darkness growing.

"I think it is about time we return back to our homes. The archive should be closing soon. There are barely any people here now," Artanis said while looking around.

"Agreed, I've had my fill of history for one day," Bakshan said.

They both quickly made their way to the exit and stepped out of the warmth of the building into the chilly outdoors. Energized crystals hung from large pillars that lit up the streets. The sky was cloudy and hid the stars from their shining beauty. Besides all of the distant ships in the sky, it felt like the calm before a storm. Alleyways were the home of darkness during the night.

Artanis and Bakshan walked down the street and started to notice how hollow and devoid of life the entire street was. All of the lights in the buildings were out; doors and windows were sealed shut like an abandoned warehouse and the wind grew slightly stronger. When they got half way down the block where there was hardly any light, they began hearing voices all around them.

"Do you hear that?" Bakshan asked while trying to not grab their watcher's attention.

"Yes, I do. I can sense them too. What should we do?" Artanis asked.

"We don't know who they are and what they want. Try to remain calm but keep yourself on guard. Who knows how strong the might be," Bakshan replied.

"Very well,"

The wind blew stronger and started to drown out any voices that they heard before. They continued to walk until Bakshan came to an abrupt stop. Artanis took a step forwards but stepped back to where Bakshan was. He saw her look around and a serious look appeared in her eyes. He waited for her command, stood prepared and a bit nervous. He didn't know about Bakshan but his hearts were beating fast due to the intensity.

"That's it! Step out of the darkness and reveal yourselves! There is no point in trying to remain hidden. We both know that you are tailing us!" Bakshan shouted out loud.

They both heard laughter coming from every angle. It wasn't multiple laughs but a singular one. The laughter felt that it belonged to a maniac but at the same time, it sounded like a lost warrior out for revenge.

"How keen of you to notice, Bakshan. I don't know about your friend here but that is very expected from the likes of you,"

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Bakshan demanded.

The psionic pressure around them skyrocketed. It was a sudden rise for the both of them. They both looked around desperately trying to find where exactly the voice was coming from. After multiple seconds, they saw a black foggy mist form around them. It wrapped around the both of them and then stopped. The black mist slowly floated away from them and gradually became faster. The streams of mist started to come together at an epicenter that was located eight feet in front of Artanis and Bakshan.

"It is nice to see you again after these long weeks. I've been waiting for this opportunity for some time now, Bakshan,"

The black mist finally came together and it spun around. After multiple seconds, a figure could be seen through the dispersing mist. When the mist had completely faded away, they saw a Dark Templar standing before them both. He was dressed in black robes with black armour. It looked brand new and looked full of evil. He was taller than both of them. His body was bulky and his muscles looked large enough to flatten a car. His eyes glowed an ugly red.

"Who are you?" Bakshan asked again.

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

The figure pulled down the mask that covered the bottom half of his face. Bakshan stood horrified at who she saw. Now she was the one that felt nervous.

"You…What are you doing here Chulakus?" Bakshan yelled out.

"Chulakus? Who's he?" Artanis asked in confusion.

"That is rather insulting you low life! I should impale you on an Ultralisk tusk for that you trash!" Chulakus said hatefully.

"Artanis, do you remember when you had that dream about Tassadar and you came wandering into the sparring room those weeks ago?" Bakshan asked while turning to him.

"Yes, why?" he replied.

"When we were talking, I mentioned a Templar who tried to flirt with me and in response; I smashed him into a wall. This is him, Chulakus," Bakshan explained.

"I see, so what is he doing here?" Artanis asked.

"I don't know but by the look on his face, I don't think he has come to play," Bakshan said while preparing to fight.

"So he is challenging us to a fight?" Artanis asked.

"It seems that is the case. However, I don't understand why he decided to come alone. He should know that fighting us alone would be his disadvantage," Bakshan answered.

"Hahahahaha, who said that I was alone?" Chulakus said.

As soon as he said that, eight other Templars jumped out from their hiding spots and completely surrounded Artanis and Bakshan in a circle.

"It isn't two to one. It is nine to two!" Chulakus laughed.

Bakshan looked around and had a bad feeling. Their position didn't look good. She could tell that each of the eight other Templars weren't average. They were elites who were stronger and faster than they looked. Surely she could take those eight on her own but she had a broken arm and there was also Chulakus. The odds were stacked against her and Artanis. They had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. They had to face their opponents.

"Chulakus, do not be so hasty. There is no need to use violence in these matters. What exactly do you want in return in order to stop this recklessness?" Bakshan said in a calm voice.

"What I wish for? There isn't that much that you could do. I've been dreaming of this ever since you crushed my pride by rejecting me and throwing me against a wall! You then reported my actions to the Council of Elders and I lost my rank! Do you have any idea how humiliating that was? How would my actions break the Military Code, eh? This is your entire fault Bakshan and I am prepared to give you what you deserve for what you've done! However, if you throw away your pride and bow before me and admit my superiority, then I might allow you to leave unharmed," Chulakus said.

"What did you say? Get over yourself! As if Bakshan would ever accept such ridiculous terms! You have nothing to blame but yourself!" Artanis shouted out.

"Artanis, shut it! This is no time to argue. Look around you, we are in no position to stand against them at the moment," Bakshan scolded him.

"But!" Artanis tried to say.

"No buts!" she replied.

"Hahahaha, listen to what she says, you weakling! You are surrounded by eight elite warriors who excel in all levels. You have no chance!" Chulakus said. "Now Bakshan, do you accept my terms or should I kill you both where you stand?"

"Don't talk to her like she is inferior to the likes of you! She is a Dark Knight of the Akilae Tribe, not some sort of peasant!" Artanis lashed out.

"That doesn't change anything. I was a Dark Knight as well before I was demoted. We are on equal levels, wait no, I am wrong. I am superior to her! My power far exceeds hers!" Chulakus said arrogantly.

Artanis was startled to hear what he had claimed. He couldn't believe that Chulakus was a Dark Knight like Bakshan. A Dark Knight that his personality seemed insane. It made him uneasy about the situation and hesitant.

"What's wrong? Got nothing else to say you ignorant fool?" Chulakus asked.

Chulakus disappeared into a cloud of smoke and then reappeared in front of Artanis. He grabbed him by the neck before Artanis could respond and used his strength to raise him into the air.

"Hey! Stop that! He didn't do anything wrong!" Bakshan yelled.

"Shut up you pathetic female! You are nothing more than a spoiled warrior who knows nothing of true strength! Hundreds of thousands look up to you like a princess! What will they think of you when they see you at my mercy? Just the thought is bringing me much pleasure in your suffering!"

Chulakus felt a punch to his face. He turned his head forwards to see Artanis with an angered look on his face.

"Stop speaking to her like that or I will show you my wrath!" Artanis ordered.

"Hahahaha! Was that really all you had? That barely left a scratch! How weak!" Chulakus commented.

Chulakus used his full strength and threw Artanis towards a wall that was ten feet away. Artanis smashed into it and left a dent. The loud clashing sound it made caused Chulakus to laugh. Artanis's seemingly lifeless and shattered body fell down onto numerous crates

"Artanis!" Bakshan screamed.

"You have no time to worry about that filthy Khalai trash!" Chulakus said happily.

He appeared behind Bakshan and wrapped his arm around her neck tightly. It wasn't enough to choke her but it was enough force that she couldn't overpower it. Bakshan tried to break free but she was shocked by the amount of strength that he had. She just couldn't break free from his grasp with just one arm. She used her psionic abilities in an attempt to get loose but for some reason, her powers felt drained. She was nothing but a sitting duck.

"You can try using your powers but it won't work. I've spent these past weeks seeking out a crystal that would suck out your feeble powers for just this occasion. You can do nothing but be at my mercy," Chulakus said.

"This is between only you and me, Chulakus. There is no reason why Artanis should be involved. Let him go in one piece and we can settle these matters ourselves," Bakshan suggested desperately.

"Ah, I see! You truly care about that Templar, don't you Bakshan? This is perfect for me! Everyone! Rip that Templar trash to pieces! Make sure you beat him until he is nothing more than a pile of flesh and bones!" Chulakus said to his subordinates

Bakshan's eyes widened. She began to squirm in Chulakus's arm in a hope to free herself. Anger and fear struck her hearts and mind. She started to panic.

"Good, this is truly pleasurable! My men haven't done a single thing and already, you are showing your despair. How writhing!" Chulakus said.

"Don't listen to this Templar! He is corrupt and evil! You all can't be agreeing to what he says! Don't you know what will happen if you are all caught after this? Think about what you are about to do!" Bakshan screamed towards the other eight Templars staring at her.

"Nice try Bakshan, but they are under my influence and authority. They are my closest comrades and they will never listen to the likes of you! Hurry up already, beat him until he is unrecognizable!" Chukalus ordered.

The eight other Templars nodded in compliance and walked over to Artanis. From the distance, Bakshan saw Artanis get picked up and thrown against the wall across the street. Chulakus's men ran over to Artanis and started to mercilessly beat him. With every blow, Bakshan could feel the amount of psionic energy that they used. It was enough to break a human bone with one hit.

"No!" Bakshan screamed out.

"Think about it Bakshan. The only reason why he is like this is because of you. The only reason why he is suffering this pain and agony is because of you. It will be your entire fault for what happens to him here this night. Make sure you savor this moment and to never forget about it for as long as you live," Chulakus taunted.

She struggled to escape but it was no use. She was incapable of doing anything. She felt helpless and couldn't believe that Artanis had felt like this for so long. Tears formed in her eyes. Never had she felt so powerless. How was she just weak without her psionic ability and another able arm?

"Stop it! Stop it now! You are going to kill him! Someone help!" Bakshan cried.

However, Bakshan's cries and pleas were heard by no one. For a continuous three minutes, Bakshan stood useless as she heard her closest friend being beaten. Every strike made her cry out while it made the others laugh. She heard bones snapping and blood splattering against the wall. She had to close her eyes from the gore.

Chulakus raised his free arm and ordered his men to stand down and to step away. They all complied and left the bloody body lying on the ground. Their clothing and armour were covered in blue blood that also dripped from their hands. They returned into their circle with satisfied looks in their eyes.

"I think that if we continue onwards, Bakshan's mind might snap in half. It is time to put that Templar's unlucky life to an end! Everyone, use your psionic blast and turn him to ashes!" Chulakus ordered.

"Please…just stop it…he has already suffered enough…Don't kill him please…This is none of his fault…He doesn't deserve this…It is me that you wish to take vengeance on, not him…get him some help…please…I beg of you. Don't kill him," Bakshan cried.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha! Yes! This is what I want to see! The great Bakshan groveling at my feet! This is just what I've dreamed of for the past months!" Chulakus said maniacally. "Finish him off, right now."

The eight Templars formed a position that surrounded Artanis. Bakshan couldn't see him anymore. They all gathered up their psionic power. Bakshan felt the psionic pressure rise dramatically. They were gathering enough power to destroy an entire skyscraper with blow. She continued to cry out but it was a futile effort. The energy was gathered up between the eight warriors' hands. The energy felt foul and made of pure evil. It was completely putrid.

"KILL HIM!" Chalukas screamed in rage!

The eight warriors shot out their blasts. They all struck Artanis at the same time and caused a large flash of light to light up the entire block. It caused the winds to become out of control and formed a cloud of debris and garbage to cover the entire area. Pieces of metal flew by all of them and disappeared into the smoke. The amount of damage seemed less than they had expected.

"It's over Bakshan. He is now nothing more than ashes that will be blown away by the wind. It's truly a pity. That punch he gave me wasn't that bad but he should have known that it wouldn't have stopped me," Chulakus commented.

"Silence! Don't utter another word you merciless brute! You and your comrades are nothing more than garbage that should never have allowed to exist. Killing an innocent Templar, do you have no pride? If you were a true warrior, then you would have settled this between only you and me, not with Artanis and your eight conquered friends here. You have no right to call yourself a Nerazim!"

Chulakus became enraged with the comment. He shoved her to the ground where she fell onto her back. She tried to get back up but saw a fist full of psionic energy flying towards her. It had enough power to go right through her.

"You just got yourself killed you ignorant Templar!" Chulakus roared.

This was it. She knew that she was going to die. There was no one else out there. She was alone in a hopeless situation. The only thing that hurt her the most was that Artanis was killed because of her actions. Her childhood wasn't horrible but it was good either. It was just average. She always dreamed of becoming a Dark Knight like her father before he passed away. Once he did, her world grew dark and she always isolated herself from the world, until Artanis came into her life. He was somehow able to bring happiness and joy back into her life. He supported her just like how she did to him. Despite having second thoughts, it was Artanis who encouraged her to accept the position to become a Dark Knight and ever since then, she was happier than ever before, despite her busy schedule. She lived a satisfied life but regretted cutting Artanis's life short. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow that would end her life.

However, the blow never came. She didn't feel any pain or any contact. She opened her eyes and saw someone looming over her. The darkness made it difficult to see.

Chulakus stared in astonishment at what he saw. His face quickly grew more furious and he applied more pressure to his punch to overpower Bakshan's savior. Yet, no matter how much force he put, the hand that held his fist would not budge.

"What is this? How are you alive and what's up with your eyes?" Chulakus demanded to know.

The Templar simply ignored his question and used some of his strength to push Chulakus away. He quickly turned around and picked up Bakshan with both of his arms. He saw a balcony close by and leaped onto it. He placed her down onto the floor and got up.

"Don't worry Bakshan…You are safe now. I will not allow these hooligans to do anything else to you," Artanis said.

Bakshan sat up and couldn't believe who she was staring at.

"Artanis, is that really you? But how?" she said while trying to confirm that she was in reality. "I saw you die."

"It is me. I will explain later but just relax and watch. Though I didn't want to show you yet, I don't have any other choice. I'll make sure that I protect you. I won't let any of them touch you," Artanis said.

Bakshan was amazed. His voice felt strong. There was no doubt that he wasn't bluffing or trying to act cool to impress her. He sounded and looked reliable. The white aura that covered his entire body was mysterious to her. She was unaware of what it meant. All she could do was have faith in him.

Artanis leaped off of the railing on the balcony and landed in front of Chulakus.

"How are you alive? I saw you burn to ashes by those psionic blasts! How are you standing before me?" Chulakus asked.

"Who said that it was me who was being assaulted? Why did you assume that the bloody Templar whom you saw met their demise was me? It could have been someone else, or who knows, a hallucination?" Artanis replied.

"A hallucination? But how?"

"When you threw me against the wall, all you did was toy with Bakshan and talk. You completely ignored me and assumed that your attack was able to disable me. I decided to use that time to gather up my psionic energy and condense it together in order to give it a form similar to mine. I also added certain details that allowed the lack of light to help fool your eyes into thinking that it was me. Since you were unable to see all of the details that I didn't put, your brains instinctively filled in those details on its own. With that, I was able to successfully trick you into thinking that the hallucination you killed was the actual me. Frankly I am disappointed, someone of your caliber should have known this," Artanis explained.

"Are you calling me weak you bastard Templar? Don't get so full of yourself!" Chulakus screamed with rage.

He disappeared into a cloud of smoke and reappeared in front of where Artanis stood.

"Die!"

However when the smoke cleared, he couldn't see him.

"What? Where did he go?"

"I'm right behind you, can't you sense me?" Artanis asked.

Chulakus turned around and saw Artanis. He quickly threw a punch out but he disappeared and then reappeared five feet away.

"It's too late now Chulakus. You can't touch me. Your overconfidence has given me more than enough time to prepare myself. I am willing to admit though, if it wasn't for your men, then I might have been unable to stop your attack on Bakshan without being harmed," Artanis said.

"What are you talking about?" Chulakus said paranoid and in dismay.

"I have mastered the ability to absorb the psionic attacks of others and converting it into my own energy. The amount of psionic energy that your subordinates used to kill my hallucination was enough to flatten a skyscraper. Before their attacks even hit, I was able to absorb it and turn it into my own," Artanis explained.

"No! That is impossible! This can't be!" Chulakus said while backing up.

"I apologize but this is reality. Just like how you made Bakshan cry and beg, I will make sure that you do the exact same thing," Artanis said seriously.

Chulakus prepared himself for a fight.

"Why are you just standing there? Kill him!" Chulakus ordered.

His men seemed hesitant of their command. They felt that the tide of this fight was against them. They weren't laughing at all anymore.

"NOW!" Chulakus screamed.

The fear of the former Dark Knight convinced them to attack. They each charged at him from all sides while channeling all of their power into their attacks. The first one shot a punch to Artanis's face but he dodged it. Artanis followed up by grabbing the warrior's arms and flinging him over his shoulders to the nearby wall to his left. The second came up behind him. He held both his hands together while aiming to smash the top of Artanis's head. All Artanis did was catch the attack and then deliver a punch to the warriors stomach. The punch shattered the second warrior's armour and sent him flying into the wall. His head smashed against the edge of a crate and knocked him out of the fight. The third and fourth came at him from Artanis's sides with their psionic blades pointed right at him. Artanis spread his arms at a hundred and eighty degree angle. Before the blades could slice Artanis's hands, they lost their dense form and were sucked into Artanis's hands.

"What the?" said the third one.

"That isn't possible!" commented the fourth.

Artanis unleashed two balls of psionic energy from his hands that blasted the two of them down both ends of the street. Everyone who was still conscious was able to hear the both of them smash and scrape against the ground. Chulakus couldn't believe what he was seeing. He brought with him eight elite warriors who were highly skilled but already, half of them were being dispatched with ease. Bakshan thought the same way. She was impressed and astounded by his strength. It didn't even feel like the same Artanis whom she knew before. It was like a whole new Artanis.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh leaped into the air while trying to strike Artanis. However, Artanis's speed was beyond normal. He quickly dodged the attack by appearing three feet away from his original spot. When the three warriors landed, Artanis quickly ran over to them and went into a brawl with them. The dozens of attacks that the three subordinates threw at Artanis were all blocked or dodged. When they saw that their effort was useless, they jumped back and surrounded Artanis in a triangle. They breathed heavily at their skirmish while Artanis stood unfazed.

Artanis crossed his arms and bent down a bit. He gathered an immense amount of psionic energy into his core. The four remaining warriors saw an opening to strike and ran at him with all of their strength. Right before the first blade touched Artanis, a transparent sphere of psionic energy formed around him. It blocked all of the incoming attacks and expanded at an alarming rate. The speed and power of the expanding sphere caused the four warriors to be sent flying in all directions. Everything that lay on the ground within its ranged was shot forwards away from him. When the sphere disappeared, Artanis returned to his normal position.

"Don't think that it is over you idiot!" Chulakus roared from behind.

He prepared to end the battle with his fist of fury. If he could land just one strike, then it would be enough kill him. He had the power of a Dark Knight with him. There was no way that he couldn't decapitate Artanis with his attack. He put all of his hopes into that single strike. He refused to lose to a complete stranger who just didn't die. He was so close to achieving his plan and now it was in tattered pieces, all because of Artanis. The hate and anger helped fuel his power. He had picked one of best openings that Artanis had. Artanis didn't have enough time to dodge the attack.

Artanis felt the punch connect but he did not feel pain. His body didn't even move. He stood perfectly still and stared at Chulakus with slightly confused eyes. Artanis could see the unbelievable look on Chulakus's face as he realised that his strike had no effect on Artanis. He actually stepped back in fear with his body shaking.

"How? How can you be so powerful? To be unharmed by my attack! What on god's name are you?" Chulakus screamed in rage.

Artanis disappeared and appeared directly in front of Chulakus. His white eyes turned a shade of red which caused his white aura to turn red as well.

"Mercy…" Chulakus begged. "I'll leave you both alone, just don't harm me."

"You should have thought about this before you came. It's too late now. You made her tears fall, I'll make sure that it will be your blood that does the same," Artanis said threateningly.

Before Chulakus could respond, he felt a punch to his face that knocked him back a foot.

"This is for her pain!"

Artanis threw out another one; this one hit his stomach and broke apart his armour.

"This is for her sadness!"

Chulakus felt a kick to his kneecap.

"This is for throwing me against a wall!"

Artanis smashed his knee against Chulakus's chin.

"This is for your ignorance!"

Artanis let out another punch to his chest. It was followed by a barrage of punches and kicks. Each punch felt like an armour piercing bullet that stabbed through his body. They struck Chulakus's arms, his chest, his abdomen, his thighs, his legs and specifically his face. His kicks felt bone shattering but Artanis held back a bit if his powers to not do exactly that. Every piece of armour that the former Dark Knight wore was broken into dozens of tiny pieces.

The constant blows that struck Chulakus's body caused him to fall unconscious. When Artanis noticed his eyes roll behind his sockets, he stopped. Chulakus's body remained standing but started leaning forwards. Before it fell down, Artanis unleashed a powerful uppercut that caused the bones in Chulakus's chin to crack.

"And that one is for hurting her and making her cry," Artanis said.

The final attack caused Chulakus to launch two feet into the air and then fall back to the ground onto his back, seemingly lifeless. Despite all of the blows, Artanis was clean of blood.

Artanis began to hear sirens coming from all around. He saw transport shuttles and hovercrafts descending onto the area. Bakshan leaped down from the balcony on the third floor and walked over to Bakshan slowly. He noticed and walked towards her. They quickly stood face to face.

"Are you really the same Artanis that I've known for these past two years? You look the same, you sound the same, you feel the same but I can't believe that it is you. You've grown so much stronger these past four weeks. It is remarkable," Bakshan said while wrapping her good arm around him and leaning her cheek against Artanis's chest.

"Did they hurt you?" Artanis asked.

"No, you came right in time. Any later then I might be just like him," she replied while staring at Chulakus.

"It seems that I caused enough disruption that even the Zealot Patrol Guard is on their way," Artanis said.

"Don't concern yourself with them. They'll take our side no matter what. Everything that Chulakus has done here has broken many of the city laws, and the military laws. There is no way that he is getting out of this without consequences," Bakshan said.

The shuttles reached their location and started to land. The debris around it was pushed away as it touched the ground and let out a landing platform. The hovercrafts set up a small little blockage around the street as dozens of Zealots came flooding into the area while looking around. Stretchers were pulled out of the shuttles and those who carried them went straight for the nine Templars who lay scattered around unconscious.

"They don't seem pleased, what will we tell them?" Artanis asked.

"Leave it to me, I'll tell them everything," Bakshan replied. "By the way Artanis, thank you."

The way that Bakshan said it made Artainis blush a bit. Bakshan turned around and saw four Zealots walking up to them. They each wore an insignia that notified everyone that they were the commanding officers of their brigade. They demanded to know what had went on and Bakshan proceeded to tell them everything down to the last detail. They looked around to where the eight Templars were and their locations matched Bakshan's story.

They asked Artanis some questions about it and he gave out the same story as Bakshan. When Chulakus and his allies were arrested and placed into stasis cells that prevented any movement, the four Zealots allowed Bakshan and Artanis to leave and even offered to bring them back to their homes. They both happily agreed and thanked the Zealots for their kindness. They both got onto separate shuttles and were brought home, each were told that they would be picked up again the next day in order to make a full report. They agreed, went into their homes and were left to think about everything that had happened.


	8. Chapter 7: Templar Knight

**Chapter Seven: Templar Knight**

The days that followed that night caught Artanis completely by surprise. The news of his victory over nine elite Templars and how he saved Bakshan spread like a wild fire. His reputation rose considerably and he became much more popular and known by those in the city. There were many who didn't believe in his strength and challenged him to a duel. However, they too succumbed to Artanis's new powers and even though the ones he beat were the ones who hated him the most, he extended his hand out to each of them. There were many reporters who wished to interview him and he quickly became the center of attention.

Despite hanging around new comrades, he always made sure that Bakshan and Hexvanna were by his sides and that they were never pushed away by his new found fame. Chulakus and his comrades were thrown into prison where they were condemned to live their lives in solitude within an isolated cell until a century had passed.

Finally after so long, Artanis was able to accomplish a dream that he never thought was obtainable. He was able to restore his reputation as a proud Templar and become stronger than he ever was before. His soul felt fulfilled and complete. He had everything that he wanted. He had two close friends that were like his family and he had the power to protect them and himself. The fame meant little to him but it was a bonus that he happily accepted.

However, Artanis was going to get something more, something that he never even dreamed of. Both the leader of their tribe, and the Council of Elders agreed upon with the help of Bakshan, that Artanis was fit to replace Chulakus as a Knight. They came to him personally and told him the news which caused him to almost faint. They told him that his ceremony would take place at the city square in front of the government buildings from the civilian part of the city.

Artanis made sure that he had dressed himself accordingly to what he wanted and to what was recommended to him by Bakshan and Wargan'us himself. He checked himself in front of a mirror and felt slightly nervous. He could hear the thousands of people outside who were waiting for him to step out into the light. He patted his robes down and adjusted his headpiece. He thought about what he was going to say and felt even more nervous. This was the first in a decade where all of the light was on him.

"Praetor Artanis, you are being called onto the balcony. The people grow restless," a secretary notified him.

"Very well, I will be on my way," Artanis replied.

He got up from his seat and began walking to the balcony. He slid open the curtains and walked onto the six floor balcony where Bakshan and Wargan'us stood. He heard the crowd cheering for him when they saw him step out. He felt flustered and blushed as they chanted his name. He walked over to a spot next to Bakshan and waved his hand to everyone in the crowd. He was amazed at how many of his brethren were there, around at least ten thousand or more. As Wargan'us spoke, Artanis tried to look for Hexvanna but couldn't find her.

"Over there on the edge," Bakshan said while nudging him.

Artanis looked to the right side and saw Hexvanna waving her arms out to him. He waved back and felt happy to see her there.

"Artanis, please step over here if you do not mind," Wargan'us said.

Artanis did as was told. Wargan'us took out a crystal that resembled the head of Tassadar. There were no specific details but just the shape of it made him know that it was supposed to be Tassadar's. Wargan'us placed it in Artanis's hands.

"Please Artanis, tell us what you are feeling right now. Your rank as a Praetor has been given back to you and you are also one of our tribe's greatest Templar Knight. What say you mighty Templar?" Wargan'us asked.

Artanis was handed a device that amplified his voice several folds. It was a microphone that took the shape of a sphere.

"In all honesty, I am not sure of what to say exactly. This was all so sudden. It was only two months ago where I was nothing more than a below average High Templar. Now, I am a Dark Knight. I never thought that this was possible. When I served under the great and mighty Tassadar, he taught me many things. I never knew what he truly meant but now I do. His words became clear to me because of Bakshan. She helped push me to change myself and it was by her words that helped me realise the meaning of my master's words. She was the one who helped me get back off of my feet when I was down. Her kindness and her personality gave me hope and shined like the stars. She is one of the reasons why I stand here right now. Then there is Hexvanna. She was the one who turned me into who I am. She was the one who transformed me from a weak Templar to the one who stands before you. She helped support me and it was by her actions that allowed me to succeed. I owe both of them a debt of gratitude that knows no bounds. Without them I would have fallen a long time ago. As a Templar Knight, I will try my best and I will do whatever it takes to protect you all. Even if the Khalai Alliance sends its most horrifying war machines, I will make sure that they never touch you. I promise that none of the young ones will see destruction or death. For the sake of the future that Tassadar had hoped for, I will make sure that it is seen to fruition! En Taro Tassadar!"

The crowd began to cheer like crazy. They clapped, chanted his name and shouted out many encouraging things. All those who watched the broadcast across the entire Daelaam Alliance also cheered. There was something about Artanis that felt right. It seemed that Tassadar's will did live on inside of Artanis.


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

With the rank of Praetor returning back to Artanis, he was able to lead armies of the Daelaam to many victories due to his tactical skills. By using the terrain, the quality and attributes of his army, he was able to defeat any army that was thrown at him. Followed by Bakshan and her army, they were able to penetrate deep into enemy lines to the point where the Daelaam Alliance as a whole, was able to push outwards and secure key locations that the Khalai Alliance relied heavily upon for their war effort against the Home Guard Protectorate and them. In the Khalai Alliance's final effort, they summoned their fully assembled armada of Tempests and whatever remained to face off against Artanis and Bakshan at the Storm Valley. The location was decided by Artanis due to the advantage that they would have. Artanis was able to lure the Tempest Armada into the valley where lighting rained down from the clouds and cause severe damage to the fleet. The lighting caused some of them to malfunction which made the mini droids within them to explode. With no air superiority, Artanis's and Bakshan's army were able to overpower Zarvyn's ground army and force them to surrender. Zaryvn himself was killed in the final battle and his body was never found amount the battlefield.

The Home Guard Protectorate made peace negotiations between the Daelaam Alliance and did not have to suffer the same consequences. The Khalai Alliance was broken and the remainders were forced to integrate with the Daelaam along with the Home guard Protectorate. After the year of fighting, the civil war was over and peace was restored. However, this time a majority of those who disagreed and hated their counterparts were killed in the war. It left a scar on the families that gradually healed as their relationships with their opposites grew better. After more than millennia, true peace was able to be obtained.

Decades following the civil war, new tribal leaders were elected with Artanis being one of them. As a representative of his Akilae Tribe, he was nominated by every leader to become the Hierarch of their people. Despite being nervous, Hexvanan and Bakshan were able to help encourage him to accept the position. Unlike before, he was more influential and he had more authority. His heart was strong and he acted like a true leader. Under his rule, peace was maintained and all conflicts were settled with words. Tassadar's dream had finally come to fruition.


End file.
